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Thank you to all our amazing applicants this year! After much deliberation, Ellena Obiria has been chosen as the 2025 Godoy First Generation Scholarship winner!
Biography:
Hello! My name is Ellena Obiria, and I am an undergraduate student at Drexel University. I am enrolled in Drexel’s accelerated BS+MS Psychology program, intending to improve the livelihoods of many who suffer from mental illnesses. I enjoy advocacy and wellness. I am an avid lover of culture and currently speak four languages including: Spanish, Swahili, English, and Ekegussi (Kenyan Tribal Language).
Reaction Statement:
From the bottom of my heart, I am truly thankful for your team’s efforts to ensure that I have the ability to continue my education. Your scholarship has ensured that I continue to persevere throughout any challenge that comes my way. Words can not express the amount of gratitude in my heart. I sincerely thank you for bringing me one step closer to my dreams.
Biography:
My name is Coral Almazan, born and raised in Houston, Texas. I loved Houston so much, I decided to continue my education in this beautiful city by attending Houston Christian University as a second-year Honors College student studying criminal justice. I decided to pursue criminal justice as I have earned an associates degree in cybersecurity and felt like I needed to understand more of the legal aspect of cyber law. As a first generation Mexican-American, I aspire to incorporate my background and knowledge to bring an end to online child sex abuse and exploitation within marginalized communities by spreading awareness for online child safety.
Reaction Statement:
Winning the 2024 First Generation Scholarship has been such a huge blessing for me. The cost of education grows higher and higher each year, so with this scholarship, I will be able to relieve financial burden. This scholarship has given me the assurance that the people of Godoy Law saw me for my accomplishments and wish the best for me as I pursue my educational and career advancements. I am forever thankful for Godoy Law and the path they paved for me to live my dreams.
Biography:
My name is Mikayla Carrizales, and I am a born and raised Texan going to Colorado State University. I’ve always loved visiting my family and admiring the mountains during my childhood, so it was an easy decision to go to such a beautiful school. I decided to study psychology after battling my own mental health struggles including grief from losing my dad to cancer. I look forward to helping other people facing grief as I continue my education to become a marriage and family therapist. As a second-generation Mexican-American, incorporating my first-generation background so that minoritized communities have access to mental health care is extremely valuable to me.
Reaction Statement:
Because I hope to positively impact my community by providing professional mental health services, I will use this scholarship to continue my education. As I look toward graduate school, any weight taken off my financial burden of paying for my own tuition is greatly appreciated. I look forward to serving my community with your assistance through this scholarship. As a college graduate, I will be the first person with my last name to attain a degree, especially a Masters. The scholarship will allow me to prioritize obtaining a higher education that focuses on helping people in times of need. This will allow me to put my attention on gaining the skills and experience to be the best therapist that I can possibly be, while not having to worry about the financial burden of paying for tuition. It is a dream of mine to use my passion and empathy for the good of my community while making a living for myself, this scholarship gets me one step closer to achieving that life-long dream I have had. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart to everyone who made this opportunity possible!
Biography:
My name is Diana Obinna, and I was born in Budapest, Hungary to a Hungarian mother and a Nigerian father. Due to the racial discrimination we faced in Hungary, and the lack of adequate health care in Nigeria, we sought asylum in the United States when I was 9. We faced deportation proceedings and were lucky enough to get an amazing pro-bono attorney who took our case and fought for us. Finally, 10 grueling years later, we attained our citizenship when I was in college. I studied Philosophy at Howard University and I am now a 1L at Texas Law! I am not quite sure what I will be studying, but I have a strong interest in public interest work and will be getting involved with the amazing immigration clinic we have here at Texas Law.
Reaction Statement:
I am so grateful to the scholarship committee at Godoy Law for recognizing my story and awarding me this scholarship! The cost of law school is a huge mental burden and often times the aid and loans we get from school does not cover additional life expenses that come up. That’s where scholarships such as this add so much value. This scholarship is a blessing and I feel very fortunate to be selected. I look forward to being able to pay this forward and uplift the future generations that are coming, particularly first generation Americans and immigrants. A lot of us faced unseen battles that are often not recognized, so I am very grateful that this scholarship does recognize those unseen battles. Overall, receiving the email that I was awarded the scholarship put a huge smile on my face and gave me unexpected confidence. Thank you Godoy Law for the amazing work you are doing!!!
