Keeping In Touch Grants

Keeping in Touch (KIT) Grants Awarded to 15 Former Scholarship Winners

The Keeping in Touch (KIT) program was started over ten years ago to continue financial support for the winners of branch scholarships as they complete their undergraduate degrees.

Alexandra Mandel, the chair of the KIT committee, reports that this was a banner year for the number of applications the committee received, a total of fifteen. It was exciting to read the personal statements of the applicants and view the successes they are having in internships and grade point averages.

The committee, made up of Tammy Parker, Joan Sullivan, Vicky Reader, Mary Cox and Donna Dicker, awarded grants of five hundred dollars to twelve of the applicants: Lindsey Hilesland, Shirley Antonio Arriaga, Sruchi Patel, Katelyn Lemieux, Abigail Brendlen, Amanda Cummings, Emily Dinh, Shalimar McGinnis, Aliyah Habib, Grace Sullivan, Virginia Hendersen, and Taylor Conely.

Three outstanding applicants, demonstrating a high level of need through their applications, were awarded seven hundred and fifty dollars: Sophia Carillo, a nursing major at the Milwaukee School of Engineering; Breanna Casas a senior at SJSU majoring in nursing; and Adriana Arroyo, who will be transferring from Gavilan community college in December of 2022 to SJSU.

Click on the button below to see Awardees’ colleges and majors.

Each applicant was asked to pass along one piece of advice to current high school students. Many of the women stressed seeking out mentors and peers for help in adjusting to college life.

Those KIT winners who are attending school locally will be introduced at the Wildflower Run on March 27th. KIT grants are supported by the Wildflower Fund.

List of 2022 KIT Recipients
Return to March/April 2022 Newsletter