Support the Alumni Scholars Program

Your Support Means Everything

• “Every person I have met along my journey has had an impact on me. Your stories and your ability to persevere despite the barriers you encountered inspired me to continue striving for what I once believed was impossible: attaining a higher education. These next four years will consist of difficulties that will test my capabilities. However, each of you have reminded me that I can and will succeed. Your stories will stick with me and your advice will resonate within my thoughts. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for listening to our struggles and our stories and for allowing every scholar to feel that success is within their reach.”

  Cristina Acosta Navarro, TAAP Scholar

• “This scholarship will make my college experience more enjoyable and beneficial than I ever thought it could be. Finances are a significant concern for me, especially as a self-financed student. This scholarship greatly reduces my college expenses, and therefore, allows me to focus on my academics and pursue opportunities that will benefit my career. I can also spend more time getting involved on campus in academic and social clubs. As a future alum, I am aware, now more than ever, of the effect that my efforts can have on others and their lives. I would love to support CAA and the Cal community and “pay it forward.” This association is involved in meaningful work that I believe will positively affect not only individual students, but also other communities at large.”

  Ismael Javed, TAAP Scholar

• “I am incredibly grateful and euphoric. When I received my email saying that I had been awarded this scholarship, I could not stop smiling. My heart was racing and pounding because I just could not believe it and I was so happy that I cried. I cried because I remember standing in my mom’s house in Mexico, how it did not have a fully closed roof, how bugs crawled on the walls, how the walls had cracks, and how my family never had much opportunity to improve their lives. Knowing that I come from poor and barely livable conditions makes earning this scholarship incredibly significant. I cried because of how far I have come in life. I cannot explain how grateful I am that you have selected me. It is not just the money that helps me, but it is also the hope you have given me. I will always remember the surge of happiness I felt in the moment when I received the email. Thank you for supporting me, thank you for taking your time to interview me, and thank you for creating a positive impact in my life.”

  Angela Mendoza, TAAP Scholar

• “The CAA Alumni Scholarship will lift a huge financial burden off of my family and me. Thanks to this scholarship, I can decrease my work study hours and focus more on studying and becoming part of the Berkeley community. As a transfer student, I only have two years to enjoy everything that Cal has to offer and the CAA Alumni Scholarship will be a key element in my having the best Berkeley experience. I believe in giving back to the organizations that have helped me on my academic journey. In the future as an alum, I hope to give back to CAA Scholarships so I can help future Berkeley students.”

  Mercedes Sosa Cordero, TAAP Scholar

• “For me, being a Leadership Award scholar means that I have the grit and determination it takes to be successful here at UC Berkeley. Through all of my past accomplishments and projects, I have truly learned and grown as a student, leader, and human. It means the world to me that everything I have done to better myself and my community has translated into being recognized at this level coming into my first year of college. The award has not only given me the strength to push onward in my pursuit of higher education and student activism, but also the physical means with which to obtain these goals.”

  Cody Tran, Leadership Award Scholar

• “I feel very honored to be a recipient of this esteemed scholarship. It gives me confidence to be recognized as a Leadership Award scholar for accomplishments I have made in my life, and the award encourages me to endeavor to be a better leader in the community. I would like to always remember and appreciate the people who work hard to make our community a comfortable and welcoming place for all, and I aspire to be one of them to help make our home an even better one.”

  Minori Aoki, Leadership Award Scholar

• “Being a Leadership Award scholar is an honor that symbolizes the hard work and dedication it takes to become a leader in our community. It is an honorable recognition because the award acknowledges that the journey to becoming an effective leader is continual, and that Cal is one of the best places to learn to value ideas, empathize with others, solve important problems, and collaborate with peers to make advances in groundbreaking fields. Cal students are in the prime position to become the next generation of leaders with a passion for important issues of social justice, meaningful technology, and innovative research.”

  Janaki Vivrekar, Leadership Award Scholar

• “Being a Leadership Award scholar signifies to me that I am a part of an incredibly diverse community of leaders who have withstood obstacles far greater than my own. Recognizing the legacy of this community motivates me to constantly challenge the status quo, remember the community that pushed me forward, and make impact in whatever situation I am in. This award will make a difference in my life by expanding the array of opportunities I can explore during my last few years at Cal, like finding industries that interest me, networking with professional that inspire me, and bringing forth issues that I have the power to solve.”

  Katie Chiou, Leadership Award Scholar