Affirmed Residents WIN AHMA PSW Foundation Scholarships
Affirmed is pleased to announce three winners of the annual AHMA
PSW, Dan Grady Memorial Scholarship. This program awards
academic and vocational scholarships to deserving residents who wish to continue
their education. Since its inception, the Dan Grady Memorial Scholarship
Program has awarded over $622,000 in scholarships to low income residents and
at-risk youth. Each winner won a $3000
scholarship towards their higher education.
(*Resident names have been
changed to protect their identity).
Frank has been living at Allanza Apartments for the last 5 years. When Frank
was 16 years old, he dropped out of school and was addicted to drugs. His
addiction led him to a life of crime where he was incarcerated on and off for
about 15 years. As of November 2015, Frank has been sober and in recovery for
nine years. He is expected to graduate with a GPA of 3.41 in June 2017 from Cal
State San Bernardino. He will be
receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He plans to pursue his master’s
degree in Clinical Counseling at Brandman University. Frank is currently
working for The Awareness Group as a certified drug and alcohol counselor which
he provides educational classes and facilitates groups for people. Frank also won a AHMA-PSW Foundation
scholarship in 2016.
Alice has been living at Creekside Trails for the last 5 years. She is a
senior at the local High School and is expected to graduate on June 1, 2017.
She maintains a 4.21 GPA while participating in school activities such as cross
country, wrestling, track and field, Science Club, Spanish Honor Society Club,
and MECHA. She is currently working as a cashier and volunteer at the Casa
Familiar Summer Program. She is a first-time recipient of the AHMA-PSW Foundation
scholarship. She will be attending San Diego State University in the fall. Her
goal is to graduate in 4 years and travel. She would like to spread awareness
to third world countries by focusing the attention to those who are in need and
help to make a difference.
Jena has been living at Tesoro Grove for the last 6 years. She is
currently enrolled in UCLA and majoring in Human Biology and Society while
maintaining a 4.13 GPA. She is expected to graduate in 2020. She works as a
lifeguard at the Aquatic San Diego. She had volunteered at the UCSD hospital,
Kaiser Permanente and San Ysidro Health Clinic where she was inspired to pursue
a career in the healthcare field. Once she graduates from UCLA, she would like
to return to San Ysidro to help make a difference in people’s lives by working
in Public Health. This will give her the opportunity to provide similar
services to families that are in a similar situation that she was when she was
growing up.
AHMA-PSW is a non-profit organization composed of affordable housing
providers, including agents, owners, property managers and related
professionals who offer management and products or services to the affordable
housing industry -- low and moderate income families, seniors and persons with
disabilities. The Affordable Housing
Management Association Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW) Foundation is entering its
thirty first year of providing assistance in continuing education to residents
of our housing complexes. To learn
more, visit the AHMA-PSW at http://www.ahma-psw.org/
