Monday, May 11, 2015
UC Berkeley Career Center
2440 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (MAP)
8:30 AM to approximately 1:00 PM (includes breakfast, lunch and wrap-up)

Please proceed to the 3rd Floor of the Career Center when you arrive for breakfast and orientation. There are several parking garages in the vicinity of the Career Center which is located between Telegraph and Dana. See parking options below. Interviews will take place on the 2nd Floor of the Career Center. If you are arrive after the orientation, you should join us on the 2nd Floor.

You will participate in an interview team with 2-3 other community members. Each interview team will include one of the Berkeley Community Fund board members, who will help guide the process. We are interviewing 42 finalists and will choose 25+ scholarship recipients.

The agenda for the day is as follows:
8:30 – 8:45 AM
Interviewers arrive, check-in, breakfast
8:45 – 9:30 AM
Orientation and time to settle into interview rooms
9:30 AM -12:30 PM
Interviews — each interview lasts approximately 20-25 minutes
12:30 PM – end
Lunch, rank candidates

Parking Options

1. Martin Luther King Jr Student Union Garage (Bancroft Way near Telegraph Avenue, under Zellerbach Hall)

2. City of Berkeley Public Parking, 2450 Durant Ave (Located between Telegraph Ave and Dana Street, entrances on Durant Ave and Channing Way)

3. FPC Parking Garage, Channing Way (behind church, between Telegraph and Dana)

4. Douglas Parking Lot, 2594 Durant Ave

27 BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS JOIN THE HIGH HOPES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND RECEIVE AWARDS OF $432,000 TO SUPPORT THEM IN COLLEGE.

 BERKELEY, CA – The Berkeley Community Fund (BCF) is excited to announce the 2015 recipients of its High Hopes college scholarships. We will have an awards ceremony on June 8, 2015 at Berkeley City Club to honor the 27 new scholars who will join the High Hopes scholars already in college.  The new scholars are:

• Omar Aguilar Martinez
• Sandy Alegria
• Solwazi Allah
• Norma Ambriz
• Abdulalim A’Omer
• Wessede Barrett
• Thafir Elzofri
• Ignacio Franco
• Cassandra Gonzalez
• Marco Gutierrez
• Nia Hampton
• Thai Hill
• Pablo Itzep Pastor
• Sequoia Johnson
• Andrew Jones
• Kevin Lee
• Melissa Macias
• Carlos Montano
• Alexis Ortega
• Denia Parham
• Pamela Rodriguez
• Veronica Smith
• Melissa Sotelo
• Ocean Spikes
• Yilin Xu
• Yingyin Yu
• Hammad Zahid

The 2015 High Hopes Scholars are planning to study math, engineering, architecture, marketing, biology and chemistry at campuses of the University of California and California State University, and at private colleges throughout the United States, including Wesleyan University, Mount Holyoke College, and American University.

The High Hopes Scholarship Program provides four-year $16,000 need-based scholarships to talented and resilient Berkeley high school students. The financial support helps close the significant gap between the true cost of attending college and the typical financial aid award. Scholarships are funded through generous donations from the community.

The program also helps students successfully navigate the challenges they encounter in college through a critical array of support services including one-to-one mentorship, financial literacy training, transition-to-college workshops, and support from a college success coordinator.

Download our press release here: BCF 2015 High Hopes Scholars Press Release.

Join the Berkeley Community Fund on Thursday,October 8 as we honor Archana Horsting, co-founder and executive director of Kala Art Institute, with the 2015 Benjamin Ide Wheeler Award at our annual dinner.

The award recognizes Archana’s selfless and indefatigable 41-year (!) leadership of the internationally renowned nonprofit arts center. Through her vision, inspired by Atelier 17 in Paris, Kala offers exhibitions, lectures, workshops and professional development for artists. It also brings art classes and workshops into our public schools and the community, serving about 25,000 individuals every year.

Sponsorship opportunities for the annual dinner are available. Look for details in the mail or download a sponsorship form. All proceeds will support the High Hopes Scholarship Program.

Since the majority of our scholars go to schools outside of the immediate area, contact during the semester is often virtual. Scholars will feel more comfortable reaching out and responding during the school year, if they have spent some quality time with you over the summer.

If your scholar is slow to open up over coffee or a meal, change up your plans. Here are some suggestions for connecting with your mentee as the summer winds down:

Get Outside!

• Hike the Berkeley Fire Trail at sunset (Suggested by Quan Tran, 2012 High Hopes Scholar) Click here for directions
• Go to a concert in the redwood grove at the UC Botanical Gardens (Thursday evenings in August)
• Go for a night hike and look through the telescopes at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland Click here for ticket and reservation info.

Explore Culture!

• Sept. 5th – the Middle Eastern Bazaar Ensemble (a Middle Eastern, jazz, funk, soul fusion band) or any performance at La Pena Cultural Center
• September 11th  – Under 21 Open Mic at Youth Speaks in Oakland

Share an interest!

• Go fishing, play a sport, walk your dogs
• Invite your mentee over to cook a favorite recipe
• Give them a tour of your work place

Volunteer with us for K to College’s 2015 Berkeley Volunteer Event! 
BCF Mentor, Steve Frances, is the COO of K to College, a nonprofit that began as a UC Berkeley student group and is designed to provide basic material needs to low-income youth and adults.  

Details
Sunday, August 23, 2015 1-4pm
Location: Chevron Auditorium of the UC Berkeley International House, Berkeley.
We will help assemble 3,500 school supply kits and dental kits that will be given to low income and/or homeless Berkeley Public School students.

Click here for Required Registration

And RSVP to BCF, so we know to look for you!

The Berkeley Community Fund wishes you a fulfilling, challenging, and productive school year. Here are some ideas for making the most of your college experience:

Utilize your mentor – No one can succeed without help. Your mentor can support you and help you navigate college life. Ask them for advice. Use them as sounding boards. Let them know if you have a problem. Ask if they had similar experiences. Make an effort to get to know them. It takes time to build relationships, but they are eager to get to know you. They may not know the best way to help you, and it’s ok for you to tell them what you need. If you haven’t met in-person with them yet this summer, reach out to them. Hopefully, they will be just one of many mentor relationships you will cultivate in life. If you are having difficulties establishing a bond with your mentor, let BCF know. Not every match is a fit.

Access resources – College tuition gets you a lot of stuff – like a state of the art gymnasium. And just as you might routinely visit the gym to work out, explore all the resources that come with your tuition and get the most out of your college experience. If you have questions about majors – meet with department advisors (they get paid to help you). Struggling with homesickness or adjusting to school? Make an appointment with the mental health center. If you think you might have a learning disability, let us know, so we can help you get special accommodations (like more time to take tests). Questions about financial aid and scholarships? Make an appointment with the financial aid office. Get your money’s worth!

Seek internships – through professors and your career center as soon as you get back to school. Career centers maintain databases of available internships and jobs. Make an appointment at the beginning of the semester (even as a freshmen) before anyone else and start planning for next summer. While you are there, take some career assessments like the Strong Inventory to see what career paths might suit your interests.

Network – all the time. You never know when a contact might turn into a lead about a job or an internship or might spark a new interest. Teachers, coaches, your boss at the restaurant, fellow classmates, your BCF mentor, BCF board members, high school teachers, etc., they are all part of your network. Always be respectful, courteous, helpful, and genuinely interested. Finding opportunities is all about networking. A player on your intramural team might have parents who work at your dream company. So play nice!

Embrace experience – College is not just about classes. This is a time to stretch your boundaries and explore passions, not just in the classroom. Go camping with friends, try paddle boarding or rock climbing, take a language or an art class just because it seems interesting, study a new religion, explore a cause that interests you, take a drama class. Do a semester abroad. Find ways to make new friends and challenge yourself. If there is some activity you are afraid to try, that is the one you should pick! Be brave! Take one step towards your fear and then take another. Negar Esfandiari (2013 High Hopes Scholar) is doing just that. Check out her blog describing her semester abroad 

These are our top tips for a great school year. Why don’t you send us yours? to lynn@berkfund.org

Kevin Lee
Ask.com High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Santa Cruz

Kevin is graduating from the Academic Choice program at Berkeley High School. He was both a participant in and volunteer for the BHS R.I.S.E. program, where he tutored algebra. He’s an avid badminton player who was also a member of the Asian-Pacific Islander Club, the Earphone Club, and the Jubilee Project Youth Club. Kevin has a strong interest in environmental issues and would like to pursue a career that applies computer programming to medicine or the environment. He will be the first in his family to attend college.

Andrew Jones
Art Berliner-Marian Lever High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Davis

Andrew is an entrepreneur, poet and competitive soccer player. He was on the varsity soccer team at BHS and the Mavericks club team. At the same time, he co-founded a clothing brand, Tutto Everything, handling product marketing and business development. Eager to learn more about business, he interned with a real estate consulting firm, volunteered with CJM Entertainment Group and was head of marketing for the Black Student Union. Writing poetry is his creative outlet. He plans to pursue a business degree with a concentration in marketing.

Sequoia Johnson
Berkeley Community Fund High Hopes Scholar
California State University, East Bay

Sequoia is graduating from the Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS) at BHS with a clear focus on a career in medicine. She aspires to be an RN in a challenging specialty and to be an instrument of change in her community. Sequoia is proud of starting the school’s Medical Emergency Response Club and of interning with the City of Berkeley’s Mental Health Services Department. She also participated in BHS’ Bridge program and in Berkeley Youth Alternatives. She will be the first in her family to attend college.

Pablo Itzep Pastor
Morris Family Fund High Hopes Scholar
Wesleyan University

Pablo loves science, creative self-expression through music and being part of a tight ensemble. He played bass clarinet in the band and orchestra while a student in the BHS Communication Arts and Sciences community, rehearsing every morning during all four years of school. He also volunteered at the BHS library. Pablo is a Y-Scholar and aspires to be a physics or math professor and do research. He will be the first in his family to attend college.

Nia Hampton
Ask.come High Hopes Scholar
American University

Nia, who will be a first generation college student, plans to buildon the skills she acquired in the BHS Communication Arts and Sciences program. She wants to major in Communications and Media Studies because she is passionate about changing how the media portray women and marginalized people. While at BHS, she created a professional grade campaign video for a Richmond school board candidate (he won), was secretary of the BHS chapter of BuildOn, and co-founded Girls Group, a club that focuses on analyzing the media’s portrayal of women.

Marco Gutierrez
Garland Family High Hopes Scholar
San Jose State University

Marco’s passions are math, science, sports and cooking. He volunteers at the Richmond Boys and Girls Club, tutors younger kids in math and works at Berkeley Bowl. He enjoyed playing football throughout high school. An avid cook, he is especiall proud of his boudin, which he describes as Mexican lasagna. Marco, who is the first in his family to attend college, plans to study civil engineering in college. He is interested in working onconstruction, transportation, landfill and water-related projects around the Bay Area.

Cassandra Gonzalez
Berkeley Community Fund High Hopes Scholar
San Francisco State University

Cassandra loves singing, dancing and writing poetry. She won a scholarship from Global Glimpse, based on an essay she wrote, to travel to Matagalpa, Nicaragua and live within a rural community; she recalls this experience, and the people she met, as an inspiration for her every single day. Cassandra is a graduate of the BHS Bridge program and a first generation college student. She is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse.

Thafir Elzofri
Gilbert Family High Hopes Scholar
Wesleyan University

Thafir loves math, writing comedy, playing sports and hanging out with friends. He was president of the Berkeley High Language and Culture Exchange Club (LACE), a tutor for Mathworks, and a leader with Y-Scholars and the Teen Task force at the YMCA Teen Center. Thafir has won the Mayor’s Leadership Award and emceed an annual YMCA celebration for 150-200 people. He plans to major in math at Wesleyan and hopes to become a math professor. He will be a first generation college student.

Wessede Barrett
Art Berliner-Marian Lever High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Santa Cruz

Wessede emigrated from Jamaica to the U.S. when she was 10 years old. She is graduating from the Arts and Humanities Academy at BHS where she was active in the Black Student Union and a member of BHS SHIFT (Sexual Health Information for Teens). She has worked with children at Live Oak Center through Youth Works and tutored children at Malcolm X. She will be the first in her family to attend college and plans to major in business and marketing.

Abdulalim A’Omer
Owen Family High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Davis

Abdul is graduating from Berkeley High’s IB program, where he was a student leader. He founded and was co-president of the BHS Eritrean Student Association. He also served as vice president, president and board member of the BHS Muslim Youth Club. Abdul is a co-founder of the Tutto Everything clothing brand and also works part-time as a manager at the Oakland Coliseum. He is interested in studying marketing and pursuing a business degree. He will be the first in his family to attend college.

Thai Hill
Berkeley Rotary High Hopes Scholar
San Francisco State University

Thai graduated from the IB program at Berkeley High. While there, he participated in the Bridge program, interned at Libby Laboratories, and worked as a tech assistant for the Berkeley Unified School District. An accomplished skateboarder, Thai is especially proud of his work in helping to plan, fundraise for and build a $30K skate park that serves West Oakland neighborhoods. He is thinking of studying mechanical engineering.

Ignacio Franco
Berkeley Rotary High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Berkeley

Ignacio plans to major in Urban Studies at UC Berkeley. He enjoys literature, writing poetry and music, digital design workshops and making films. Ignacio was an academic leader with the Y-Scholars program, vice president of the BHS Chicano Latin Club, co-chair (and the only Latino) of the Asian Pacific Islander Club, a summer volunteer at Centro Vida preschool, and a summer employee at Mi Terra Foods. He will be a first generation college student.

Norma Ambriz
Berkeley Rotary High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Merced

Norma, a leader in the Latino student community at BHS, graduated from the IB Program. She participated in the Bridge program and will be a first generation college student.Norma loves sports and played baseball through high school. She enjoys the energy around athletes and sports medicine,
and plans to volunteer at UC Merced’s emergency hospital. She hopes to enter the field of sports medicine in some capacity.

Sandy Alegria-Hernandez
Berkeley Rotary High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Santa Cruz

Sandy is graduating from the IB program at Berkeley High School (BHS) and will be the first in her family to attend college. She is a member of the Y-Scholars Program, where her leadership led to an award as “Student of the Year.” Sandy helped form a group called “Peer Adviser Leader” (PAL) which helps 9th grade students transition successfully into high school and into the Y-Scholars community. She is interested in pursuing Latin American and Latino Studies at UCSC.

A small team of Berkeley Community Fund scholars, mentors and staff will be participating in this year’s Berkeley Half Marathon, running the 5K as part of TEAM BERK FUND.  The event is happening on Sunday, November 22. It starts in downtown Berkeley right outside Berkeley High School goes through the city, along Telegraph, through the UC Berkeley campus and finishes up at the Crescent.

The team includes Scholars Mika Kubo, Zulma Munoz, Evan Ho, Gerardo Plascencia and Fatima Rodriguez-Ortiz plus some mentors and staff. The goal for Team Berk Fund is to raise $4,000. You can show your support for Team Berk Fund and the High Hopes Scholarship Program by donating on our team web page today at http://bit.ly/1MSRcFN

Thank you for helping us advance the futures of Berkeley youth.