After a competitive nationwide search, we are proud to announce that the KIPP Foundation has recognized six college-bound KIPP SoCal alums for their outstanding achievements by awarding each of them $60,000.
Through the Rales Scholars and Goldberg Scholars scholarship programs, recipients will also receive one-on-one mentorship, internship placement support, and more throughout their college career to ensure they have the necessary support and resources to graduate. Meet our inspiring scholarship recipients, watch their reaction videos, and learn more about the programs below!
About the Rales Scholars Program
In partnership with the KIPP Foundation, the Rales Scholars Program was established by the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation in 2022 to honor the legacy of Ruth and Norman Rales, who believed deeply in the limitless potential of all young people.
Rales Scholars will receive the following:
- Internship placement: Scholars will work with the Rales Scholars Program team to identify meaningful internship opportunities and receive support in finalizing internship placement.
- Alums mentorship and connection: Rales Scholars will engage in the broader alum network (over 45,000 and growing) and be mentored by and connected to older alums.
- Leadership Weekend: All scholars will attend an annual leadership summit in the summer to foster connections across the Rales Scholars community and develop scholars into agents of change across the country.
- Financial Literacy: Scholars will receive training on personal financial planning and budgeting.
- Resource Library: Resume and cover letter templates and mock interview resources.
Meet our 2023 Rales Scholars
Alejandro Pliego
Alejandro Pliego is a KIPP SoCal Adelante middle school alum. To explore his career interests, Alejandra has had the opportunity to be an Entrepreneur and Innovation Intern and a San Diego Squared Fellow. San Diego Squared Fellow is a program that helps mentor underrepresented high school students interested in STEM. He is also a recipient of the National Illumina Stem Scholar and a National QuestBridge Finalist. This fall, he will attend Princeton University and plans to major in public policy or a newly discovered passion.
Fernanda Herrera
Fernanda Herrera graduated from KIPP Scholar Academy and is a senior at Harvard-Westlake School. She is actively involved in her school community and works with SLIDE (Student Leaders for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) and Latin American and Women of Color affinity clubs. She is deeply passionate about social justice and is committed to helping people of color emerge from spaces where they have historically been marginalized. She intends to study chemistry, philosophy, and French language and culture at Barnard College. Fernanda also believes that the arts, especially poetry and painting, can be powerful tools for helping people work through their minds and emotions. She frequently explores the intersection between art and chemistry. She recently conducted a series of interviews for a passion project that culminated in an essay on how poetry and chemistry influence and parallel each other.
Melanie Mosqueda
Melanie Mosqueda is a senior at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA, and an alumna from KIPP LA Preparatory. She is interested in pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in film and philosophy and will attend the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Melanie is passionate about conducting research, leading her to publish two studies and work as an Assistant Researcher at Caltech. Throughout her years at Westridge, Melaine helped build community amongst her Latino peers by becoming head of the campus Latine Affinity group. To further support the Latinx community, Maleine has helped raise money for Central American communities through fundraisers and works on marketing initiatives for Latina-based small businesses. Outside academics, Melaine, her love for dancing, has dedicated five years to performing with Ballet Folklorico Resurrection.
Olivia Zepeda
Olivia Zepeda, a KIPP Innovation alumna, intends to major in political science or international relations. She aspires to pursue a career in government to bridge polarized issues while voicing the needs of marginalized communities. Olivia is a leader of the Latin Student Association and the coinciding affinity space, a tutor for Vistamar’s Writing Center, and an Admissions Ambassador. She is a 2022 Youth Fellow of Coro SoCal and a School for Ethics and Global Leadership graduate. She participated in her school’s play productions and co-leads school-wide events, such as Soulful Celebration and Identity Day. In addition to excelling in her schoolwork, Olivia mentors her younger Latina classmates and wishes to be a resource for those who share similar passions and curiosities. She is also a Tigre Scholar, which supports high-achieving students by providing scholarship assistance and mentoring throughout high school.
Ramon Suzuki Lopez
Born and raised in East Los Angeles, Ramon “Kodi” Suzuki Lopez is a KIPP SoCal alumni who attends Phillips Exeter Academy (PEA) for high school. Kodi is community-oriented and passionate about ending the inequities around him. At PEA, Kodi is an Office of Multicultural Affairs proctor and leader of the Latino, Low-income, and Japanese affinity clubs. In various projects, he’s demanded change and solved issues of racial and financial inequities on campus. He’s published a TEDx talk on his homeless experience and earned the Powell Prize for impacting PEA. In his senior year, Kodi completed two college-major-level research courses in history and bioinformatics. He will be a first-generation college student and will double major in social science and biology at Tufts University. When Kodi faces inequality, he works to end it. Whether it’s a career in law, politics, or biology, Kodi will positively impact society.
About the Goldberg Scholars Program
In partnership with the KIPP Foundation, the Goldberg Scholars Program was established in 2017 by the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation to honor the legacy of Dave Goldberg and support a new generation of leaders who have demonstrated Dave’s qualities of leadership, resilience, achievement, character, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Goldberg Scholars will receive the following:
- Critical financial support totaling approximately $15,000 a year per student to cover a range of non-tuition needs not traditionally covered by college-based financial aid.
- Mentorship and support throughout college from a “Goldberg Mentor.”
- An invitation to attend a leadership weekend to engage in professional development, build skills, and connect with other Goldberg Scholars, mentors, and industry influencers.
- Support from the Goldberg Connectors, a network of professionals who will help students secure summer internships and job opportunities.
Meet our 2023 Golberg Scholar
Emily Amador
Emily Amador is from South Los Angeles and attended KIPP Empower Academy for elementary school and KIPP Academy of Opportunity for middle school. She enjoys writing, public speaking, and using art as a form of resistance. She grew up listening to Selena, eating and smelling the aroma of pozole, and being surrounded by a family of immigrants. She will use her undergraduate education and experience to harness the tools necessary to create effective and long-term change in the communities she represents and beyond. She aims to write a collection of books, graduate from law school, and become a congresswoman who advocates for the civil rights of all, regardless of their identifiers. Becoming President is her ultimate goal. She works so that the next generation of BIPOC has support and safe environments with opportunities to one day flourish into mariposas (butterflies). She plans to attend the University of Southern California or Cornell University in the fall.
Click here to see Emily’s reaction when she learned she had been chosen to be a Goldberg Scholar!