RACIAL & SOCIAL EQUITY
The Immigrants Creating Change Scholarship
Launched in 2021, the ICCS is aimed at empowering immigrant first-generation college students to create change in their lives and in their communities. A great number of newcomer students display tremendous motivation, resilience, and potential despite barely speaking a word of English when they arrive as teens in the United States. However, many also face barriers to post-secondary education including lack of financial aid as well as responsibilities to send money to their home countries and support themselves financially. As a result, countless brilliant and hard-working students are forced to choose work over college.
The Immigrants Creating Change Scholarship seeks to support resilient and community-minded newcomer students financially so they can choose to follow their dreams and aspirations. Applicants must demonstrate that they have overcome barriers to excel academically and that they will use their education to better their lives and the lives of others.
Applications are by invitation only.
CLASS OF 2024
Meet the 2024 Class: Fredy Vasquez, Amy Liu Chen, Maria Custodio, Melany Ortiz and Xiaoying (Katya) Xian
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Fredy Vasquez - University of California Merced
My name is Fredy Vasquez, I was born and raised in Guatemala. I moved to the United States in 2019 to reunite with my mother in San Francisco. I am committed to UC Merced. At UC Merced I plan to study biology to learn more about the human biology and be more prepare for my future career as doctor.
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Amy Liu Chen - Sonoma State University
Hello, my name is Amy Liu Chen and I am from Panama. I want to study computer science at Sonoma State University. My future career would be a software engineer. One of the most important reasons is because it offers me a wide field of work which will help me to be able to support my parents as they have supported me and of course to be able to support my community.
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Maria Custodio - San Diego State University
My full name is Maria Fernanda Custodio Alfonzo. I am from Venezuela and I came to the USA in 2022. I want to study International Business at San Diego State University. As I mentioned in my scholarship application, I really don't know what career I want to persuade. However, what I know is that I want to study a career not only to achieve my dreams but also to give a new and successful economy to my home country, Venezuela.
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Melany Ortiz - Mount Saint Mary's University
I am Melany Ortiz, and I come from Nicaragua Esteli. I have enrolled to Mount Saint Mary's University as a Biology Major. I want to study Biology because I am planning to pursue a career as a psychiatrist.
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Xiaoying (Katya) Xian - University of California Davis
I’m Xiaoying Xian, a senior student in San Francisco International High School. I am going to start my new journey chapter in UC Davis. I am majoring in Environmental Science and Management because I am interested in environmental justice and I want to create a better living environment for my community
CLASS OF 2023
Meet the 2023 Class: Allan Jeronimo Hernandez & Gerardo Saavedra Tapia
Allan Jeronimo Hernandez - University of California Davis
Allan is a hardworking student and empathetic person who volunteered as an afterschool tutor to help fellow students gain confidence. He is planning on studying biology at UC Davis and becoming a dermatologist in the future so that he can help young people avoid the shame and negative self-esteem that comes with skin problems.
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Gerardo Saavedra Tapia - University of California Davis
Gerardo is a persevering and brilliant student whose goal is to study Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis. He grew up on a farm in Mexico and he hopes to use his studies to fight climate change, conserve water, and develop sustainable agriculture through improving irrigation systems. He has developed some enriching experience in building through volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and an internship with the San Francisco Planning Department.
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CLASS OF 2022
Meet the 2022 Class: Andrea Hernandez, Hazel Parada and Yehao (Kyle) Zhang
Andrea Hernandez - City College of San Francisco
Andrea was a leader in their high school's LGBTQ club and helped create safe spaces for LGBTQ students. They are a first year student at City College of San Francisco where they are studying to be a registered nurse so they can provide high quality health care to their community.
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Hazel Parada - San Francisco State
Hazel is an extremely empathetic leader who supported countless students emotionally and academically in high school. She is currently a freshman at San Francisco State who plans to major in social work.
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Yehao (Kyle) Zhang - UC Santa Cruz
Kyle was selected for the scholarship because he was a strong leader in high school who organized events that celebrate the diverse cultural heritages of his classmates. He is currently in his first year at UC Santa Cruz and plans to major in computer science.
CLASS OF 2021
Meet the 2021 Class: Elisa Aguilar, Gabriela Martinez and Marc Torres
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Elisa Aguilar - San Francisco State
Elisa is a brilliant writer and scholar who displays very strong critical thinking skills. She has learned to manage many family and work responsibilities while also excelling in her studies. She is a second year student at San Francisco State University.
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Gabriela Martinez - San Francisco State
Gabriela was a brilliant student who was passionate about helping other immigrant students learn English and be successful. She is a sophomore at San Francisco State where she is majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in business administration. She plans on going to a graduate school to get her masters and become an Environmental Engineer.
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Marc Torres - San Francisco State
Marc has a passion for helping others in his community and often volunteers with non profits to help them share resources and information to other immigrants. He loves learning other languages, and he is a sophomore at San Francisco State University.
Colonial White
An ongoing participatory project created by Charlotte Lagarde​ for The Racial Imaginary Institute.
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2018 - ongoing
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Featured in Art In America and Hyperallergic
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In this participatory project, by visually merging the Colonial White paint chip with actual acts, artifacts of colonization, Lagarde hopes to reframe the term colonial in its historical context and definition, and to reflect on how trivializing the word colonial is a way to erase the history of oppression and negate the reality of todays’ structural racism.
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Colonial White was included in the exhibits
The Racial Imaginary Institute: On Whiteness at The Kitchen, NY (Jun-Aug. 2018)
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Great Force curated by Amber Esseiva at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond,VA (Oct.2019 - Jan. 2020).
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Everyone is welcomed to participate. So please, join us!