Meet the Echewa Fund recipients

Aliah is a bright, assertive, and confident student who graduated with honors from high school. She is committed to a career in the healthcare industry and will be studying nursing at Neumann University. Aliah has excelled in cultivating robust relationships with her teachers and classmates during her time in high school. She truly embodies the “everything is possible” attitude.

Suleiny challenged herself academically by taking advanced courses while at Bodine High School. She also was a student leader for Bodine’s community service initiatives. Not only is Suleiny the first in her family to go to college, she’s attending one of the best liberal arts institutions in the country, Bryn Mawr College. She hopes to be a social worker, a pay-it-forward profession.

Nytia was a standout student at Paul Robeson High School. She consistently demonstrated a “whatever it takes” approach to academic achievement in the face of many demands and challenges. The $7,000 scholarship she received from The Echewa Fund enabled her to attend West Chester University.

TaMyra demonstrated both seriousness of purpose and clear focus on her path to college from Prep Charter High School. She worked many hours after school to provide financial support for her family. Yet, she was unrelenting in her pursuit of the mentoring and academic and personal support necessary to ensure college admission. She will be attending West Chester University.

While attending Parkway Center City High School, Ebony was determined to do well in her classes. She committed herself to weekly tutoring sessions and worked hard in after school classes, always keeping her eyes on her goal of earning a college degree. She eagerly took advantage of good opportunities to learn and grow. Ebony graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2019 with a Criminal Justice degree.

Jade is a graduate of Martin Luther King High School. Though initially a quiet freshman, she blossomed into a strong and confident young woman active at King and in her community. She worked with her block captain and neighbors to uplift life on their block. Jade was an honor roll student who took academics seriously, which led to her graduating in the top of her class at King. She will be attending Bloomsburg University.

Lenielle demonstrated dedication and ability on the path to college success. She finished John Bartram High School with a GPA of nearly 3.8, thriving in the school’s ROTC program and on the cheerleading team. Despite navigating significant challenges throughout high school, Lenielle never let adversity overtake her. Her inspiring story is featured in the below video.  Lenielle graduated in 2018 with a Criminal Justice degree from Kutztown University.

Rhyen graduated from Northeast High School, where she was committed to succeeding academically while managing the additional responsibilities of a research internship and part-time job. She is a great advocate for her own needs. To improve her grades, writing and public speaking skills, Rhyen sought various academic support and enrichment experiences through Philadelphia Futures. She is attending West Chester University.