82 Named Joyce Ivy Summer Scholars, Most Diverse Cohort in Foundation History

ANN ARBOR, MI, April 1, 2021 – The Joyce Ivy Foundation today announced the names of eighty-two young women selected to receive scholarships to participate in summer pre-college academic programs at the Foundation’s partner colleges and universities, including Barnard College, Brown University, Cornell University, Emory University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Smith College, Stanford University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Yale University. The Foundation will support students to participate in either on-campus or virtual programming, and is confident that each Scholar will have a meaningful opportunity to stretch her comfort zone with an enriching academic experience.

The 2021 Summer Scholars come from six of the Midwestern states currently supported by the Foundation – Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, and North Dakota – and attend 59 different secondary schools. This year’s recipients were selected from one of the largest applicant pools in the Foundation’s history, 345 applications in total.

For the first time in Foundation history, the Summer Scholars Selection Committee was chaired by two Summer Scholar Alumnae: Allison Jegla, JIF ‘10, Senior Vice President; and Katharine Janes, JIF ‘12, Associate Board. The Committee was comprised of members of the Foundation’s senior leadership, as well as three additional Summer Scholar Alumnae: Aditi Adhikari, JIF ‘14, Associate Board; Allyson Carpenter, JIF ‘12, Board of Directors; and Abril Rangel-Pacheco, JIF ‘13, Associate Board.

“Without a doubt, this year’s applicants were some of the most tenacious and motivated we have ever seen,” said Allison Jegla. “Even in a year of primarily virtual learning, the 2021 Summer Scholars continue to lean in and take charge of their education. Our applicants, like our alumnae, clearly see the value of being part of Joyce Ivy’s distinctive community of motivated peers and supportive mentors. We are so proud to welcome them into the Joyce Ivy family.”

For Scholars who come from schools that calculate GPA or class rank, 57% reported a 4.0 GPA or higher and 9 rank first or second in their high school class. The 2021 Summer Scholars represent the most diverse cohort in Foundation history: 71% identify as women of color, including 21 Black Scholars, 20 Asian Scholars, 9 Latina Scholars, and 8 Multiracial Scholars. 48% are first generation to attend college and 61% qualify for the highest level of need-based scholarship.

“One of our top priorities as a Selection Committee is to welcome Scholars who come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences,” shared Katharine Janes. “The 2021 cohort is record-breaking, with more young women of color and first-generation to college students than any cohort before. We are committed to uplifting diverse perspectives and are excited to see the rich community the 2021 Summer Scholars foster.”

Two of the 2021 Summer Scholars will also be recipients of special named awards, including the Mary Vandewiele Leadership Award and the Joyce Ivy Alumnae Supported Scholarship. The Foundation will announce the 2021 award recipients next week.

A total of ten 2021 Scholars are participants in Minds Matter, a national organization that provides lower-income students with multi-year college preparatory mentoring and support. The Joyce Ivy Foundation, Minds Matter Cleveland, Minds Matter Detroit and Minds Matter Twin Cities will jointly fund the scholarships for the Minds Matter Scholars, in collaboration with the summer program partners. In addition, a total of two 2021 Scholars are students at the University Prep Charter Network in Detroit. Through a joint partnership, the Joyce Ivy Foundation and UPrep Schools will fund the scholarships for the University Prep Scholars.

The Foundation will also be supporting 19 Scholars who were selected in 2020 and elected to defer participation to 2021, bringing the total number of supported Scholars to 101.

The 2021 Summer Scholars will be honored during a virtual Gala on May 13, live streamed from Detroit, Michigan. The Gala will feature an address by the 2021 Joyce Ivy Foundation Leader of the Year, Rosalind Brewer, CEO of Walgreens. The Foundation will also honor three Woman of Impact award recipients: Sarah Politis, JIF ‘08; Megan Red Shirt-Shaw; and Camille Stewart.

The 2021 Summer Scholars

Michigan

Vivica Addrow, Renaissance High School
Fariha Ahmad, Hamtramck High School
Carine Akil, Crestwood High School
Baneen Aljabiry, Crestwood High School
Yeslin Amarante, Cass Technical High School
Mercedes Bales, Swartz Creek High School
Nyaira Ballinger, Comstock High School
Salma Bhonhariya, Washtenaw International High School
Amelia Bishop, Marquette Senior High School
Sara Bizhani, Washtenaw International High School
Kylie Carter, Marquette Senior High School
Aysha Chowdury, Dr Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine
Rhys Coleman, Mercy High School
Hanah Dubaisi, Crestwood High School
Nafisa Haque, Hamtramck High School
Disha Iyengar, Northville High School
Leena Joz, Plymouth High School
Brianna Kaunelis, Churchill High School
Lindsay LeMieux, Fowlerville High School
Catherine Liang, International Academy Central
Lydia Marcum, John Glenn High School
Riley Mehall, West Bloomfield High School
Olivia Merriman, Houghton High School
Aminah Muhammad, Dr Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine
Camille Nagy, Ferndale High School
Risha Narayan, Plymouth High School
Vibhasree Peddi, Washtenaw International High School
Shamrin Salam, Michigan Math & Science Academy
Sammi Samim, Hamtramck High School
Kylie Scott, Summerfield High School
Jennifer Shim, Huron High School
Louisa Stuhec, Washtenaw International High School
Ayah Sulaiman, University Prep Academy
Alissa Tory, Wayne Memorial High School
Caitlyn Uimari, Marquette Senior High School
Hannah Vann, Hastings High School
Zamia Wilson, University Prep Art & Design High School
Jade Xu, Washtenaw International High School
Himani Yarlagadda, Detroit Country Day School
Fatima Zaidan, Crestwood High School
Lucy Zate, West Bloomfield High School

Ohio

Leah Alford, Jackson High School
Nurain Amier, Wooster High School
Kayla Blake, Cleveland School of Science and Medicine
Genesis Bond Hollingsworth, Mansfield Senior High School
Irene Calderon, Summit Country Day School
Ellie Cox, Oak Hills High School
Jillian Evans, Jackson High School
Christel Gelin, Reynoldsburg High School – BELL
Olivia Hall, Hawken School
Octavia Holland, Charles F Brush High School
Madison Ingram, Bexley High School
Veronica Jennings, Madeira High School
Tamia Johnson, Cincinnati Country Day School
Taylor Lucas, Strongsville High School
Kadee Lui, Hawken School
Tasharee McClay, Euclid High School
Michelle Miao, Talawanda High School
Ibukun Odeleye, Harvest Preparatory School
Sita Rai, Cleveland School of Science and Medicine
Anyia Tables, Villa Angela St Joseph
Anna Whiting, Westerville North High School

Nebraska

Hannah Ajogbeje, Omaha Burke High School
Jannette Castro-Gomez, Omaha South High Magnet School
Isabella Gonzalez, Omaha South High Magnet School
Yvette Incontro, Omaha Central High School
Daniela Martha-Palma, Omaha South High Magnet School
Julia Perez, Omaha South High School
Myrka Perez-Ochoa, Omaha South High School
Estefany Puc Nieto, Omaha South High School
Jacqueline Quintanilla, Omaha South High Magnet School

Missouri

​Saloni Chaurasia, Rock Bridge High School
Tishitha Avvaru, Francis Howell High School
Elizabeth Tucker, Francis Howell High School
Melodie Mwangi, Hazelwood Central High School
Maggie Lin, Columbia-Rock Bridge Senior High School

Minnesota

Melky Abdulwahab, Blaine High School
Lia Bleifuss, Highland Park Senior High School
Feneti Mohamed, Great River School
Semona Robel, Saint Louis Park High School

North Dakota

Guadalupe Marino Garcia, South High School
Amy Hong, South High School

About The Joyce Ivy Foundation

The Joyce Ivy Foundation seeks to provide exposure, encouragement, and financial assistance to young women who have the academic, intellectual, and leadership potential to attend the nation’s most selective institutions of higher education. Funding for the Joyce Ivy Foundation is provided by individuals, other foundations, and corporations. Since its founding in 2006, the Foundation has named 972 students from Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota as Joyce Ivy Scholars, providing scholarships for them to attend summer educational programs at partner college summer programs, and providing or leveraging $5.2 million in scholarship funding. For more information, please visit www.joyceivyfoundation.org or contact the Joyce Ivy Foundation at info@joyceivyfoundation.org or (734) 661-0229.