Our residents WIN!

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/