OFFICERS ADDY R. SCHMITTPRESIDENTWALTER MCEWEN, JR.VICE PRESIDENTJAMES MCCLELLAND, JR.TREASURERLEAH J. TULINSECRETARYSAM MARUCADEVELOPMENT CHAIRELIZABETH SARAH GERESCHOLARSHIP CHAIRAARON JENKINSMENTORSHIP CHAIRHON. RICHARD A. LEVIE (RET.)NOMINATING CHAIRCINNAMON MCCANNCOMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIRDOUGLAS WARD COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIR

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DEBORAH BLACKHURST DODDYLINDA FIENBERGELIZABETH SARAH GERECHRISTOFFER GRAAERICHARD D. HANKSDAVID HAYNESHON. ELLEN S. HUVELLEAARON JENKINSHON. GLADYS KESSLERHON. RICHARD LEVIE (RET.)MICHAEL J. MADIGANSAM MARUCAHON. JOHN MCCABECINNAMON MCCANNJAMES MCCLELLANDWALTER MCEWENREGINALD B. MCKNIGHTIRVIN NATHANJOHN F. OLSONHON. RICHARD W. ROBERTS (RET.)DIANE ROBERTSONADDY R. SCHMITTPAULINE A. SCHNEIDERBRIAN L. SCHWALBAMY E. SCHWARTZLINDA R. SINGERHON. EMMET G. SULLIVANBRENDAN SWEENEYLEAH J. TULINDOUGLAS WARDELIZABETH WILKINS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORLISA RICHARDS TONEY

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATORLINDA MCKOY

Dear Friend of the Abramson Scholarship Foundation: Thank you so much for your support of The Abramson Scholarship Foundation. As a result of your generosity, the Foundation is going strong! It has been another busy and successful year for the Foundation, and I’m excited to tell you about our on-going work and the steps we are taking to ensure that the Foundation continues to make a real difference for young people in our community for years to come. We currently sustain thirty-one amazing Scholars through scholarship awards and mentoring, and we have just brought on board a full-time Executive Director, Lisa Richards Toney, to focus on strengthening our program and increasing our development efforts.

First, our work. The Abramson formula is simple – choose our Scholars carefully; provide them with personal, continuing care and support through our mentoring program; and, last but not least, help underwrite their expenses, with funding of approximately $15,000 over four years. We select students who not only have demonstrated academic merit and financial need but who also have a track record of performing community service. We make a 4+ year commitment, and so do they. The result is an astounding 95% college graduation rate for Abramson Scholars! (The benchmark – sadly – is a 23% college graduation rate for DC high school graduates). We could not be prouder of them! Our mentors are a dedicated bunch, including prominent federal and DC judges, journalists, business people, retirees, and lawyers of every stripe, who happily dedicate their limited free time to ensure that our Scholars have that go-to resource when they really need it. The transition from high school to college is not easy - even for kids whose parents and grandparents led the way. It is doubly challenging for our Scholars, most of whom are first generation college students. Coaching on time management, advice about how to handle a challenging course or a missed deadline, help with preparing a resume or guidance regarding job interviews can make the difference between success and failure both in college and in launching a career. Our Scholars are expected to stay in touch in order to qualify for continued support – and stay in touch they do! Also, as they have all proven even while still in high school, they are committed to making the world a better place, just as we are. Most continue to give generously of their time to improve their communities even while juggling challenging coursework and often paid employment as well.

As reflected in their own words, our Scholars take pride in their relationship with Abramson.

“I will definitely treasure my last year here and get involved in school activities as much as I can. I can’t wait to be a college graduate and be an Abramson Mentor!!!” Yue Ou, senior at University of Maryland “Having others believe in you when you are not quite sure of yourself is a blessing! The Abramson Scholarship reminds me that people are vested in me and care about my future …and continue to see something in me and it makes me want to keep working no matter what life throws my way.” Imhotepa Holder, senior at Temple University

Our Abramson Scholars are a truly admirable group of young people – hard-working, focused, motivated, and idealistic. It is easy to see why we strive to do all we can to support them and to ensure that the Foundation is on solid footing to continue advancing our mission. This is why those of us on the Board of Directors are so thrilled to have Lisa Richards Toney serving as our new, full-time Executive Director.

You will, undoubtedly, meet Lisa over the course of the coming year, but allow me to introduce her briefly here.

Lisa is a graduate of Spelman College (BA) and New York University (MA). Most recently, she served as Interim Director of the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities (DCCAH), where she started in 2006 as an Arts Program/Special Events Manager and where she also served for three years as Deputy Director. Earlier in her career, Lisa worked for a number of arts and humanities oriented non-profits and in arts education and management positions. Lisa’s vast professional experience in the arts readily translates to Abramson’s mission in education. She is well-prepared to promote our growth in three critical areas: strengthening our fundraising efforts, expanding our programs, and reaching more deserving young people. Lisa shares our eagerness to build on the remarkable accomplishments that you have helped us achieve. The Foundation has a unique and proven approach to helping economically challenged, yet immensely promising, DC high school graduates as they make their way through college and into the wider world. Our work is exciting and rewarding. To sustain this important cause, we need your continued financial support.

We are careful stewards of the resources that you entrust to us. Please consider a contribution to our cause of $100, $250, $500 or more this academic year. You can donate at www.abramsonfoundation.org or by check or credit card with the enclosed form.

Thank you for your consideration and your continuing support! We look forward to working with you again in 2017 and, in the meantime, wish you very happy holidays! All my best,

Addy SchmittPresident

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ P.O. BOX 7810 * WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044-7810

(202) 470-5425 * (202) 318-2482

Tesfaye Ayalew (Calvin Coolidge) is a freshman at Penn State, where he plans to pursue

studies in architecture. He has settled comfortably into campus life and is in touch with his men-

tors, Michael Yeldell and Judge McCabe. Tesfaye and his older brother, Kibrebeal (also at Penn

State, but on a different campus), are one of three sibling pairs who are members of the Abram-

son family.

Marquese Johnson (KIPP DC College Preparatory) is a Venable Named Scholar and a

freshman at North Carolina A&T. He plans to major in Psychology. His transition to col-

lege life is going smoothly and he is enjoying his classes.

Lisa Hoang Le (Columbia Heights Educational Campus) is a Quadrangle Named Schol-

ar and a freshman at the University of Michigan. Lisa is happy with college life and has en-

joyed meeting lots of new people. Although she misses D.C., Lisa is taking full advantage of

the opportunity to explore her interests through various organizations and classes on campus.

She reports that she is “…doing great” and wishes to pursue a career as an actuary.

Josca Moore (Duke Ellington) is a fir st year student at New York University, cur rently in

London through an NYU-sponsored academic program. She survived her first round of mid-

terms, which involved several essays and one exam. She is currently enrolled in an elective class

entitled, “Reporting the Arts in Journalism.” As part of the course curriculum, the students at-

tend weekly performances and engage in discussion or critical review of the work. Actors and

other production personnel are invited to speak with the students. This course and the study

abroad opportunity, overall, have been enriching experiences for Josca. In her own words,

“There are so many free trips that I have been taking advantage of, and I am out doing something

new just about every week!”

FALL 2016 ABRAMSON SCHOLAR UPDATES

FIRST-YEAR SCHOLARS

Bakari Siber t (Woodrow Wilson) is a freshman at Morehouse College studying Fi-

nance. He describes his year thus far as a “rapid-paced learning experience” and he notes

that he has enjoyed meeting a “variety of amazing scholars and professors.” Bakari is

thriving academically, and he continues to work diligently in Spanish. Bakari is involved

in a number of clubs; there are many that he looks forward to pursuing further later in his

college career. He is beginning to think about summer opportunities, including internships.

Bakari communicates monthly with his mentors, James McClelland and Darryl Robinson,

to keep them apprised of his college experience.

Damiya Wilson (Fr iendship Collegiate Academy) is a freshman at Nor th Carolina

Central University. She is interested in laying a foundation for a career in social work. For

Damiya, her college experience is going well. “I love North Carolina Central,” she re-

ports. She is pleased with her grades thus far and recently met with her academic advisor

to settle on her schedule for the spring term. Damiya’s sister, Arnasha Jones, is also an

Abramson Scholar.

Myiah Smith (SEED) is a freshman at Georgetown University in the International

Relations program. She is currently taking Theology, Intermediate German, and an Inter-

national Relations and Economics seminar. Myiah shares that her classes demand a great

deal of reading and writing and that she is tackling the substantial workload with all her

energy.

All my teachers know my face and my name. My fellow classmates know I

ask questions and never shy away from a challenge…I’m looking forward to my

academic life here at G’town.

Outside of the classroom, Myiah wasted no time in finding an extra-curricular activity

that she likes. She was the lead in the play, “Wind Me Up, Maria,” which was performed

on the Georgetown Campus and attracted much media attention.

Karen Tchemi (Washington Math Science & Technology) is a freshman at Delaware

State. She is currently enrolled in Art, English, and Algebra courses as well as two clas-

ses in her intended major of Computer Science. Although Karen plans to line up a part-

time job and participate in on-campus organizations in the spring, for her first term, she

has chosen to focus solely on her schoolwork, so as not to get distracted. That is proving

to be a successful strategy as Karen feels that she is getting the hang of the “college life-

style.” She writes,

I am almost half way through my first semester in college and I am pretty excited.

I plan on continuing to do my best and to finish strong!

Khalia Scott (McKinley Tech) is a June Parks Lewis Named Scholar and a fresh-

man at George Washington University. She has a full plate this semester as she is en-

rolled in many science classes to support the requirements of her pre-med course of

study, and she also maintains a part-time job. While Khalia looks forward to becoming

involved in extracurricular campus activities, for this first semester, she has wisely cho-

sen to prioritize building a solid foundation with her studies.

Kibrebeal Ayalew (Calvin Coolidge) is a third year student at Penn State, where he is study-

ing Civil Engineering. Over the summer, he stayed on campus to do research with a civil engi-

neering transportation professor. He learned how to use Aimsun, a commercial microscopic simu-

lation software, and how to apply it to local traffic data. He also studied the effect of public trans-

porta- tion on urban networks. Kibrebeal finds that all of his engineering classes are challenging.

Still, he continues to be active in campus organizations such as the African Student Association

(Kibrebeal is from Ethiopia), the National Society for Black Engineers and the Multicultural Engi-

neering Program. In addition, Kibrebeal is a Residential Advisor, a position to which he had to

apply and for which he attended training sessions.

Astra Armstrong (Duke Ellington) is a sophomore at Norfolk State, where she ma-

jors in Business Management. Astra is active in a variety of campus organizations and

she is a motivational speaker at the school. Astra is very excited to report that she will

be traveling to Johannesburg University in South Africa for a performance arts intern-

ship that will include both teaching and learning components. Astra summarizes her

experience thus far as a “wonderful start!”

Monet Blakey (Benjamin Banneker ) is a CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Named Schol-

ar and a Bates College senior. She is an African American Studies major with a minor in

Public Health and in Class and Gender Studies. Monet likes her classes this term and is sur-

prised at the extent to which the content of her classes overlaps. She is taking American Pro-

test, Hip Hop Dance, Cultural Politics, Prelude to the Civil Rights Movement and Interdisci-

plinary Research Methods. Throughout her college career, Monet has been a Bonner Scholar.

This has been a serious time commitment and one that has afforded her the opportunity to

participate in a wide range of community service and leadership activities around Bates. For

the second year now, Monet volunteers in a math classroom, helping students better under-

stand the material. Monet is now in the process of applying for fellowships and other post-

graduate programs. Looking ahead to life after graduation, Monet writes, “I’m anxious, in a

good way, about the real world.”

Betel Asfaha (Benjamin Banneker) is a Howard University sophomore who will major in

marketing. Working hard in Accounting I, her most difficult course this fall, Betel meets this

challenge head-on and keeps active with many on- and off-campus pursuits. Betel remains

committed to the Freshman Leadership Academy by serving as a recruiter and engaging stu-

dents in a variety of leadership and service project activities. She is also active in the School

of Business Executive Leadership Honors Program and has participated in corporate business

networking opportunities through this outlet. Recently, Betel joined the Business School’s Stu-

dent Council as part of the Women’s Empowerment Committee. Betel is also the Executive

Treasurer of the Ladies of the Quad Social Club, which helps freshman women transition into

the college community. Off campus, Betel is a counselor for Brown Girls Lead and a mentor

and tutor at the Rita Bright Family and Youth Center.

This winter, Betel will begin research through a sponsorship with the Young African Leader-

ship Initiative. She will focus on race relations in South Africa and how job opportunities dif-

fer across racial groups.

Betel speaks highly of her mentors: “They continue to be very helpful and make themselves

accessible whenever I need professional or personal help.” Last summer, Betel was a counse-

lor for Howard’s Accounting Scholars Program and its Actuarial Science Program. This sum-

mer, she hopes to obtain an internship in marketing.

CONTINUING SCHOLARS

Imhotepa “Tepa” Holder (Woodrow Wilson) is a senior at Temple. She majors in Ac-

counting and minors in Management Information Systems. Over the summer, Tepa interned

at the Capital Area Food Bank and at the Department of Commerce. Tepa found the Food

Bank work rewarding. At Commerce, she focused on improving hiring processes and succes-

sion planning and described that experience as an “adrenaline rush.”

Tepa does not seem to be suffering from Senioritis as she has a full schedule of courses and

activities. This term, Tepa’s favorite class, despite its challenges, is Federal Income Tax.

She also enjoys her Sports and Leisure class. Although she is less enthused about Integrative

Business Applications, she reports that all her classes are going well and that she is having a

great term. Tepa is the Financial Chair of the Student Organization of Caribbean Awareness,

where she handles membership dues and tracks activities and expenses. In the spring, Tepa

will participate again in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which helps qualify-

ing residents with the filing process.

On the job front, Tepa holds down two paid on-campus jobs – one in the library and the other

in a residence hall. As for what will happen after graduation, she has already lined up em-

ployment. Starting in January 2017, Tepa will have an accounting staff position at Cherry

and Bekaert in Bethesda, Maryland, which she likes for its investment in its young staff. Tepa

will use the months between graduation and the start of her new job to take classes in prepa-

ration for the CPA exam. She notes that Cherry and Bekaert will help defray the expenses of

study tools and of the exam itself. In the meantime, Tepa keeps us informed about her col-

lege life and writes that, “Telling you about what’s going on during my college career is al-

ways a joy to me; that you all care and want to know.”

Alexis Galloway (SEED) is a Quadrangle Named Scholar and a junior at Virginia

Tech, where she majors in Psychology. Alexis is increasingly interest in Industrial/

Organizational Psychology and is considering a minor in Communications, which would

mesh well with that interest. Her current courses are Deviant Behavior, Psychology of Per-

sonality, Social Psychology, and Multicultural Communications. This year, Alexis has a

full schedule outside the classroom! She works for 16 hours a week as Lab Staff at the VT

Math Emporium, where students study and take quizzes and exams for their math courses.

The job entails many different responsibilities and her active engagement during her work-

ing hours. She is also Vice President, Financial Secretary and Co-Membership Chair of

Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Alexis states that her sorority work has “allowed [her] to ma-

ture on so many levels.” In addition, she is a member of the Student African American Sis-

terhood. Alexis describes her junior year as her hardest so far, but she is striving to develop

balance between her academic life, job and outside activities.

Ahotep Holder (Woodrow Wilson) is a Julie Walters & Sam Rose Named Scholar and

a sophomore at Florida A & M. She majors in Animal Science and intends to pursue Veter-

inary Medicine. Among her current courses, Ahotep enjoys Beef Production the most and

finds both Biology Lab and Principles of Economics to be challenging. She is a TA for An-

imal Science, and in that capacity she grades papers, offers assistance to students and an-

swers their questions. She also makes herself available to tutor students in the class. Aho-

tep likes tutoring and finds that it helps her to further solidify the principles from the foun-

dation class in her major. Because of her challenging and full course load, she limits her

extra- curricular activities, but she is active in a dance organization, the Melodic Stepping

Experience. Ahotep’s older sister, Tepa, is also an Abramson Scholar.

Arnasha Jones (McKinley Tech) is a senior at North Carolina State. She majors in Ac-

counting. Over the summer, Arnasha interned with Ernst & Young, where she was in a rota-

tion program that made it possible for her to see many aspects of the firm’s work. She has

already committed to interning with E&Y again next summer, before she starts a Masters

program in Accounting. This fall, Arnasha is particularly enjoying her Audit class, which

presents many concepts she came across during her summer internship.

Arnasha holds executive positions with two organizations on campus. She is President of the

Black Business Student Association, and, in that role, she is currently planning an event that

will focus on black entrepreneurship and the difficulties of starting a small business. In addi-

tion, she is the Treasurer of Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority that promotes sisterhood, scholar-

ship and service. This fall, Arnasha is also spending some significant time advising her

younger sister, Damiya Wilson, also an Abramson Scholar, who attends college only 30

minutes away at North Carolina Central University. By the end of November, Arnasha

hopes to apply for the Masters program at North Carolina State.

DeShaun McCann (Benjamin Banneker) is a Marketing major in her junior

year at Temple. Over the summer, she interned at Islamic Relief USA, a non-

profit in Alexandria, VA. DeShaun enjoyed both the people she worked with and

the job. The experience persuaded her that, in the future, she might look for a ca-

reer in non-profit employment. This term, DeShaun has a full course-load. In

addition to a class in Sustainable Environments, she is taking four high-level clas-

ses associated with her major: Finance; Business and Ethics; Consumer and Buyer

Behavior; and Marketing Research. DeShaun is a member of the National Coun-

cil of Negro Women, the American Marketing Association, and the Black Student

Union, all of which provide opportunities for professional development and ser-

vice. She would also like to explore the possibility of joining a sorority. DeShaun

finds that having such a busy schedule has motivated her to plan ahead and has

improved her time management skills.

Anthonya James (Thurgood Marshall Academy) is a sophomore at UCLA. She is cur -

rently taking two classes in her major, which is history – one about mass imprisonment and

another about colonial Latin America. She is also taking a course about the rise and fall of

Modernism. Although this course array requires a great deal of reading and writing, An-

thonya is on top of the workload. She envisions herself applying to law school and has

started to lay the foundation to achieve that goal. She interned at the Wiley Rein firm in

D.C. this past summer and has applied to the Law Fellows program at UCLA.

Yue Ou (Woodrow Wilson) is a senior at the University of Maryland, studying

Civil Engineering. Despite the difficulty of cramming her Engineering degree into 4

years (many Engineering programs require 5), Yue managed to study in Australia last

spring, continuing with her Engineering curriculum, but also exploring the region and

studying Japanese. This term, she is taking seven Engineering classes, including

structural design, where her Lab course team is working to assemble steel that can

withstand a specific amount of weight without cracking. She is very excited that the

lab gives her the opportunity to use new and unfamiliar engineering and technical ma-

chines. She is also pleased that she can pursue her interest in Japan through her Inter-

national Business in Engineering and Technology class. She is slated to complete a

project about Japan’s culture and its business and communication styles. In addition,

Yue is continuing to study Japanese on her own and looks forward to being able to

visit Japan one day.

Roger Sanchez (Columbia Heights Educational Campus) is a senior in International Re-

lations at American University. He had a terrific summer at the University of Michigan in

Ann Arbor, where he took Microeconomics, Statistics, Writing, and a policy course. He was

surprised to find that Statistics was his favorite class! Of his summer, Roger writes, “It was

an amazing experience and I learned a lot.”

This semester, Roger carries a full load of five classes, which he is enjoying. In addition, he

is starting an internship at the Department of Commerce. He is in the process of applying to

State Department and other internships and various fellowships in Latin America. Board

member Deborah Doddy is mentoring Roger through his job hunt, helping him identify career

opportunities that mesh with his background and interests.

Earica Parr ish (Thurgood Marshall Academy) is a senior at Syracuse University.

She majors in Magazine Journalism and minors in Marketing. During the last academ-

ic year, Earica was Editor-In-Chief of Renegade, a brand new African American gen-

eral interest campus magazine that, despite its brief existence, already won a journalism

award. Earica is currently in Hong Kong with a Syracuse program, and she is taking

classes in Asian Cinema, Mandarin and Marketing in Asia. Although the courses are

not quite what she expected, she is learning a great deal by taking regular field trip ex-

cursions and just exploring Hong Kong. Also, she went on a two-week travel seminar

to Malaysia, Singapore, and Beijing and was thrilled to be able to visit The Great Wall

of China, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and a Malay village in Melacca. She will

wrap up her time abroad with an internship at Prestige Magazine. Earica is thoughtful

about her Hong Kong adventure.

Crystal Pendergast (Paul Lawrence Dunbar) is a Julie Walters and Sam Rose Named

Scholar and a sophomore at Penn State. She majors in Architectural Engineering. Over the

summer, Crystal took three classes – Calculus II, Architecture 100 and African American Stud-

ies, and she was very pleased with her grades. This semester, she is doing well in many classes,

particularly Chemistry. She will tackle Physics over the summer and also an internship oppor-

tunity.

Charleene Smith (McKinley Tech) is a senior at George Washington University. She

majors in Human Services and Social Justice and minors in Sociology. She currently takes

four courses, including an honors thesis. In the last few years, Charleene has worked to lay a

foundation for pursuing a career in law. Last year, she interned with the DC Attorney Gen-

eral in the Office of Child & Family Services. She recently prepared for and took the LSAT.

She is in touch with her mentor, who is a practicing lawyer and an Abramson alumna.

As she has since her freshman year, Yue visits the Chinatown Community Cultural Center in downtown D.C. on

Sundays where she tutors adults and children in Chinese and now, also, helps to review architectural designs and

Chinese signs for new stores opening in Chinatown. She was selected to join the Chinatown Community Steer-

ing Committee, which will enable her to become more involved in local and political issues affecting Chinatown

residents. In addition, Yue also volunteers with the American Society of Civil Engineers’ annual campus event

held by Women in Engineering. Yue is attending career fairs and applying for positions through the University

of Maryland’s Career4Engineers program. Yue writes:

I CAN’T BELIEVE I AM A SENIOR ALREADY!! I have learned and grown so much over the past

three years but it still feels like I just graduated from high school yesterday…I will definitely treasure my

last year here and get involved in school activities as much as I can. I can’t wait to be a college graduate

and be an Abramson Mentor!!!...Thank you very much again for continuing to check in with me over the

past three years. It has been a wonderful support and I extremely appreciate everything you and the rest of

the Abramson family have done for me.

Erika Ventura-Castellon (Woodrow Wilson) is a third year student in the Nursing Pro-

gram at the University of Kentucky. Over the summer, Erika worked for the DC Depart-

ment of Health, which she found so interesting and rewarding that she is now consider-

ing pursuing a Masters in Public Health once she has completed Nursing School. Erika

currently takes a patho-pharmacology class in which she studies chronic diseases and the

drugs needed to treat them. She also takes a seven credit-hour class that includes lec-

ture, lab and clinical components. As part of her clinical work, she does patient assess-

ments, passes out medications, takes vital signs, gives baths, changes beds, and assists

the nurses with changing wound dressings and giving injections. Erika is really excited

that she is now qualified to give flu shots.

She is also participating as a Nurse Research Intern; she conducts research on infant obesi-

ty for babies who are breastfed versus those who are bottle-fed. She was shocked to learn

that Kentucky has one of the lowest rates of breast-feeding in the nation.

In pursuit of her minor in Spanish, Erika is taking an interpreting class, and she has been

surprised at how much more interpreting requires than merely being bilingual. She also

volunteers at a physical therapy clinic as a translator for Spanish-speaking patients. She

looks forward to becoming a nurse and being able to use her interpreting and translation

skills to advocate for her patients.

Erika is in regular contact with her mentors and writes:

I love sharing what is going on in my life! It gives me a chance to…reflect on my

semester…I would like to let my Abramson family know that I am working so hard to

become the best nurse I can be and give back one day! Like always, thank you so so

much. Your ongoing encouragement and support makes all the difference.

Alexis Vivar (Banneker) is a sophomore at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where

he is studying Engineering. Despite the obvious challenges and demands of his program,

Alexis is extremely enthusiastic about both his academic and his social experience so far. He

says, “I could not find a more perfect friend group, they…get me through the rigor that is

MIT.”

Rodrigo Umanzor (Columbia Heights) is a four th year Biomedical Engineer ing student

at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He expects to graduate in December 2017, after

which he hopes to continue on at Wisconsin in a Biomedical Engineering Masters program.

Over the summer, Rodrigo stayed on campus to take a class and to work at a lab that deals

with enzyme characterization research. His current courses include Physiology, Introduction

to Tissue Engineering, a complementary Tissue Engineering lab and a Biomechanics class.

In addition, he is taking a Design class in which he is part of a team working on a delivery

system for osteochondral allograft procedures. Rodrigo is excited to discover the common

threads within his different classes and the various applications. Rodrigo aspires to a career

in research and development and feels that getting a Masters will enable him to pursue that

goal.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ P.O. BOX 7810 * WASHINGTON, D.C. 20044-7810

(202) 470-5425 * (202) 318-2482

INFO@ABRAMSONFOUNDATION.ORG * WWW.ABRAMSONFOUNDATION.ORG

The Abramson Scholarship Foundation is proud of all its Scholars - past and present.

Congratulations on your accomplishments.

Zion Williams (Columbia Heights) is a Danaher Named Scholar in her second

year at Howard. She plans to major in Political Science. Zion’s classes are going

smoothly, but balancing academic work and paid employment sometimes gets

tricky, particularly as her classes become more difficult. Zion is a member of the

DMV Club. She plans to take two classes next summer and hopes to find a school-

compatible part-time internship.

Jessica Wynn (Banneker) is a junior at the University of Southern California. This

term, many of her classes are related to her Psychology major including Non-experimental

Research Methods, Developmental Psychology and Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Jessica will apply this fall to the Psychology Honors Program and she is considering adding

a minor in Psychology and the Law to her academic program. In addition to her work in her

major, Jessica is taking a Creative Writing class, which she loves!

2016 ANNUAL APPEAL

NAME:

FIRM/COMPANY/ORGANIZATION NAME (IF APPLICABLE):

ADDRESS:

E-MAIL ADDRESS: PHONE:

In support of the mission to provide financial, mentoring, and instructional support (based on merit, need, and demonstrated commitment to community service) to District of Columbia public school graduates attending four-year colleges, I/we have enclosed a gift to The Abramson Scholarship Foundation in the amount of:

GIFT AMOUNT: (Please indicate whether it is a One Time or Recurring Gift)

$5000 $2500 $1000 $500 $100 Other $____________

NAMED SCHOLARSHIP:

$15,000 enables an individual or organization to sponsor a promising student and help that student make the transition from high school to college and on to a career. A donor's commitment to fund a Named Scholarship provides four (4) years of increasing financial assistance for college to that Scholar; provides the Scholar with peer and professional mentoring; and assists the Scholar in developing a number of useful life skills. This may be a one-time gift or a pledge over four years, with $3000 expected in the first year, $3000 in the second year, $4000 in the third year, and $5000 in the fourth year.

PAYMENT METHOD

CheckPlease make your check payable to THE ABRAMSON SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION and write “Annual Appeal” or “Named Scholarship” on the memo line. Mail your contribution to: The Abramson Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 7810, Washington, DC 20044-7810.

Credit Card Visa MasterCard American Express

Name on Card:

Card Number:

Card Security Code (3 digits): Expiration Date:

Online To make a secure donation online, please go to www.abramsonfoundation.org.

Contributions to the Abramson Scholarship Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

THE ABRAMSON SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION APPRECIATES YOUR SUPPORT!

OFFICERS ADDY R. SCHMITTPRESIDENTWALTER MCEWEN, JR.VICE PRESIDENTJAMES MCCLELLAND, JR.TREASURERLEAH J. TULINSECRETARYSAM MARUCADEVELOPMENT CHAIRELIZABETH SARAH GERESCHOLARSHIP CHAIRAARON JENKINSMENTORSHIP CHAIRHON. RICHARD A. LEVIE (RET.)NOMINATING CHAIRCINNAMON MCCANNCOMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIRDOUGLAS WARD COMMUNICATIONS CO-CHAIR

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DEBORAH BLACKHURST DODDYLINDA FIENBERGELIZABETH SARAH GERECHRISTOFFER GRAAERICHARD D. HANKSDAVID HAYNESHON. ELLEN S. HUVELLEAARON JENKINSHON. GLADYS KESSLERHON. RICHARD LEVIE (RET.)MICHAEL J. MADIGANSAM MARUCAHON. JOHN MCCABECINNAMON MCCANNJAMES MCCLELLANDWALTER MCEWENREGINALD B. MCKNIGHTIRVIN NATHANJOHN F. OLSONHON. RICHARD W. ROBERTS (RET.)DIANE ROBERTSONADDY R. SCHMITTPAULINE A. SCHNEIDERBRIAN L. SCHWALBAMY E. SCHWARTZLINDA R. SINGERHON. EMMET G. SULLIVANBRENDAN SWEENEYLEAH J. TULINDOUGLAS WARDELIZABETH WILKINS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORLISA RICHARDS TONEY

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATORLINDA MCKOY

Dear Abramson Scholarship Foundation Supporter: Thank you so much for your support of The Abramson Scholarship Foundation. As a result of your generosity, the Foundation is going strong! It has been another busy and successful year for the Foundation, and I’m excited to tell you about our on-going work and the steps we are taking to ensure that the Foundation continues to make a real difference for young people in our community for years to come. We currently sustain thirty-one amazing Scholars through scholarship awards and mentoring, and we have just brought on board a full-time Executive Director, Lisa Richards Toney, to focus on sustaining our program and increasing our development efforts.

First, our work. The Abramson formula is simple – choose our Scholars carefully; provide them with personal, continuing care and support through our mentoring program; and, last but not least, help underwrite their expenses, with funding of approximately $15,000 over four years. We select students who not only have demonstrated academic merit and financial need but who also have a track record of performing community service. We make a 4+ year commitment, and so do they. The result is an astounding 95% college graduation rate for Abramson Scholars! (The benchmark – sadly – is a 23% college graduation rate for DC high school graduates.) We could not be prouder of them! Our mentors are a dedicated bunch, including prominent federal and DC judges, journalists, business people, retirees, and lawyers of every stripe, who happily dedicate their limited free time to ensure that our Scholars have that go-to resource when they really need it. The transition from high school to college is not easy - even for kids whose parents and grandparents led the way. It is doubly challenging for our Scholars, most of whom are first generation college students. Coaching on time management, advice about how to handle a challenging course or a missed deadline, help with preparing a resume or guidance regarding job interviews can make the difference between success and failure both in college and in launching a career. Our Scholars are expected to stay in touch in order to qualify for continued support – and stay in touch they do! Also, as they have all proven even while still in high school, they are committed to making the world a better place, just as we are. Most continue to give generously of their time to improve their communities even while juggling challenging coursework and often paid employment, as well.

As reflected in their own words, our Scholars take pride in their relationship with Abramson.

“I will definitely treasure my last year here and get involved in school activities as much as I can. I can’t wait to be a college graduate and be an Abramson Mentor!!!” Yue Ou, senior at University of Maryland “Having others believe in you when you are not quite sure of yourself is a blessing! The Abramson Scholarship reminds me that people are vested in me and care about my future …and continue to see something in me and it makes me want to keep working no matter what life throws my way.” Imhotepa Holder, senior at Temple University