FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2021
139 STUDENT LEADERS EARN ACT SIX LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS TO EIGHT NORTHWEST AND EIGHT MIDWEST COLLEGES
Families, schools, and communities are celebrating across the country. Act Six announced today that 139 emerging urban and community leaders across Tacoma-Seattle, Portland-Salem, Spokane, Yakima Valley, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, from 6 different high schools, will receive scholarships to Corban University, George Fox University, Gonzaga University, Heritage University, Northwest University, Pacific Lutheran University, Saint Martin’s University, Warner Pacific University, Whitworth University, Augsburg University, Bethany Lutheran College, Bethel University, Concordia College, North Central University, Oakland City University, Taylor University, and University of Northwestern-St. Paul. The colleges will provide full-tuition, full-need scholarships over four years.
Selected through a rigorous three-month competition among more than 1,100 applicants, these diverse student leaders were selected for their commitment to serving on campus and at home, passion for learning, eagerness to foster intercultural relationships, and willingness to step out of their comfort zones.
Following is a list of this year’s Act Six recipients:
Corban University (Cadre Two)
Ady Argueta Estrada, Early College High School
Sophiya Chuprova, McNary Senior High School
Kiara Fast, West Salem High School
Ayliah Millan-Cherbak, Early College High School
Diroke Mmunga, Roosevelt High School
Emanuel Muange, David Douglas High School
Kate Robertson, Sprague High School
Xea Sprague, Scio High School
Maxim Zagaynov, McNary Senior High School
George Fox University (Cadre Fifteen)
Maliah Aldan, Columbia Christian Schools
Lizbeth Bucio Perez, Forest Grove High School
Jonathan Eyasu, David Douglas High School
Karla Martinez, McNary Senior High School
Eduardo Penuelas, Franklin High School
Whitney Waddell, Sam Barlow High School
Meklit Wakjira, Saint Mary’s Academy
Gonzaga University (Cadre Thirteen)
Audriana Alfaro, Lewis and Clark High School
Yalda Shirzai, North Central High School
Amari Troutt, Pride Prep School
Gloria Arauja Ruiz, Clover Park High School
Angeline Elguero-Mateo, Shelton High School
Antonio Hernandez, Stadium High School
Kylie Mizoguchi-Mukai, Sumner High School
Essey Paulos, Kentridge Senior High School
Heritage University (Cadre Eleven)
Katarina Berk, Sunnyside Senior High School
Cami Gutierrez – Gomez, Toppenish High School
Julian Licea, Zillah High School
Nayeli Madrigal, Sunnyside Senior High School
Ilda Mendoza, A C Davis Senior High School
Sukay Navarrete, Granger High School
Melody Ruiz Larios, A C Davis Senior High School
Angie Sanchez, Sunnyside Senior High School
Narciso Sepulveda, Grandview High School
Jari Tavira, Grandview High School
Northwest University (Cadre Thirteen)
Melanie Egunza, Tahoma Senior High School
Millie Gonzalez, Decatur High School
Dylynne Howser, Franklin Pierce High School
John Lee, Steilacoom Senior High School
Hannah Lleras, Life Christian Academy
Kuddy Mcalpin, Tacoma School of The Arts
Kevin Mccain, Life Christian Academy
Pacific Lutheran University (Cadre Fourteen)
Anthony Angel, Mount Tahoma High School
Ana Collazo, Lincoln High School
Lilybeth Esau, Fife High School
Yajaira Gonzalez-Aparicio, Clover Park High School
Josh Jimenez, Bellarmine Preparatory School
Jaylyn Kerley, Harrison Preparatory School
Elvis Ndungu, Clover Park High School
Cori Birrueta, Toppenish High School
Marillyn Diaz, Dwight D Eisenhower High School
Yanelly Gurrola Anaya, A C Davis Senior High School
Alondra Mendoza, Grandview High School
Britney Pinon, Toppenish High School
Saint Martin’s University (Cadre Three)
Cheryl Aguilar Henriquez, Federal Way Senior High School
Aslam Bwanika, Tacoma Science Math Institute
Victorya Esperanza, Kentridge Senior High School
Pedro Esqueda, Tacoma Science Math Institute
Lupita Huerta-Acuchi, Washington High School
Immanuel Lee, Todd Beamer High School
Alisha Saucedo, Thomas Jefferson High School
Whitworth University (Cadre Nineteen)
Ashlee Gardipee, Shadle Park High School
Tatum Getchell, Lewis and Clark High School
Quentin Swett, Deer Park High School
Sophia Turningrobe, Mead Senior High School
Elisa Vigil, Freeman High School
Luis Carrera-Lara, Todd Beamer High School
Emma Fualaau, Fife High School
Jacob Hutchens, Auburn High School
Litzy Soltero-Arriaga, Enumclaw High School
Augsburg University (Cadre Seven)
Fredrick Emdin, South High School
Hafsa Hassan, North High School
Ashley Olanda Oliva, John F Kennedy Sr High School
Gerardo Rodriguez Rangel, Highland Park Senior High School
Jenelle Sanner-Robinson, North Community High School Academy Arts Communications
George Yang, Brooklyn Center High School
Angel Young, Champlin Park High School
Bethany Lutheran College (Cadre Four)
Adrian Andrade Mejia, Washburn Senior High School
Theodore Baihao, Park Center IB World High School
Kevin Cordero, Totino-Grace High School
Elvis Garcia Garcia, John F Kennedy Sr High School
Tony Ho, Como Park Senior High School
Ehkhu Htoo, John A Johnson High School
Liban Mohamud, Edina High School
Daniel Retic, Brooklyn Center High School
Saron Tesfai, Roseville Area High School
Nayeli Williams, Brooklyn Center High School
Bethel University (Cadre Seven)
Youssef Abdallah, Roseville Area High School
Natalia Falgetelli, Blaine High School
Kayci Hofner, Brooklyn Center High School
Sarah Jagerson, Anoka High School
Max Lopez, Washington Technology Magnet
Maddie Nolen, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
William Petty, Benilde-St Margaret’s School
Apasara Thao, Highland Park Senior High School
Maria Tran, Roseville Area High School
Marmonee Zokruah, Totino-Grace High School
Concordia College (Cadre Three)
Hakim Adan, Metro Schools College Prep
Alejandro Anderson, North Community High School Academy Arts Communications
Johan Dominguez Lopez, Benilde-St Margaret’S School
Jesus Gonzalez Ruiz, Hiawatha Collegiate High School
Riley Hurley, Brooklyn Center High School
Zamzam Mohamed, Apple Valley High School
Rose Vang, Brooklyn Center High School
Kadar Yusuf, Eden Prairie High School
Fiqremariam Zewdie, Roseville Area High School
North Central University (Cadre Six)
Isaac Bei, Roseville Area High School
Alivia Farrell, Thomas Jefferson Senior High School
Evelyn Marquez, Hope Academy
Edward Onipede, Park Center IB World High School
Lily Prom, Home School
Angela Yates, Brooklyn Center High School
Diego Zavala-Varela, Park Center IB World High School
Oakland City University (Cadre Three)
Shania Barnes, Park Tudor School
Kennedy Lynem, Riverside High School
Rocio Rosales, Herron High School
Shasta Turentine, Warren Central High School
Taylor University (Cadre Six)
Hugo Aleman, Phoenix Military Academy
Brenda Antigua, North Grand High School
Zurisadai Benitez, Thomas Kelly College Prep
Gustavo Davalos, John Hancock High School
Josh Matthews, Lindblom Math and Science Academy
Jose Perez, Thomas Kelly College Prep
Zayda Strother, Thornton Fractional South High School
Stephanie Aguilar, Arsenal Technical High School
Josiah Allman, Covenant Christian High School
Dawit Cronin, Herron High School
Audrey Hannum, Pike High School
Kenedy Manuel, Home School
Aliah Minaya, Covenant Christian High School
Alyssa Reinoso, Heritage Christian School
Sameer Sikander, Fishers High School
University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Cadre Seven)
Kirti Alsterlund, Cyber Village Academy
Elijah Burns, Roseville Area High School
Mitike Collins, Apple Valley High School
Rediet Damiyo, Highland Park Senior High School
Christ Moo, Washington Technology Magnet
Lilly Vang, John A Johnson High School
Jose Xicotencatl Meza, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
About Act Six
Act Six seeks to develop urban leaders to be agents of transformation on campus and in their home communities. Since the program’s inception, over 1,100 ethnically diverse and mostly first-generation, low-income Act Six scholarship recipients from Tacoma, Seattle, Yakima and Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Minneapolis-St Paul, Minn.; Chicago, Il.; and Indianapolis, Ind. have enrolled at seventeen private colleges and universities.
Act Six develops leaders through a simple, but powerful, four-step strategy:
1. Recruit and select diverse, multicultural cadres of the most promising urban and community student leaders.
2. Train and prepare these groups of students in the year prior to college, equipping them to support each other, succeed academically and grow as service-minded leaders and agents of transformation.
3. Send and fund the cadres together to select colleges across Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana on full-tuition, full-need scholarships.
4. Support and inspire by providing strong campus support, ongoing leadership development and vocational connections to inspire scholars to serve their home communities.
Act Six alumni continue their leadership once they step foot into their communities. Eighty-one percent of Act Six scholars earn their bachelor’s degrees within six years, nearly double the rate for low-income, first-generation students nationwide. More than two-thirds of the program’s graduates are working or serving back in their home communities.
Scholars begin an intensive six-month training program that involves weekly meetings with Act Six staff, retreats and campus visits.
Learn more about Act Six online at www.actsix.org.
Contacts:
Marquise Dixon, Act Six national director, Degrees of Change
(253) 343-0419 or marquise.dixon@degreesofchange.org
Alyson Atwater, Act Six Tacoma-Seattle team, Degrees of Change
(253) 300-5955 or alyson.atwater@degreesofchange.org
Gerdon Jones, Act Six Tacoma-Seattle team, Degrees of Change
(253) 372-2178 or gerdon.jones@degreesofchange.org
Tyler Monk, emerging leaders division, The Contingent
(503) 432-9577 or t.monk@thecontingent.org
Alexis Nicholson, Act Six Spokane program supervisor, YMCA of the Inland Northwest
(509) 720-5613 or anicholson@ymcainw.org
Amber Ortiz-Diaz, Yakima Valley site director, Yakima Valley Community Foundation
(509) 930-0474 or amberodf@yakimavalleycf.org
Solomon Dixon, Act Six Chicago site director, Pursue Scholars
(850) 368-6861 or sdixon@pursuescholars.org
Cletis Jones, Act Six Indianapolis coordinator, Shepherd Community Center
(501) 804-1232 or cletisj@shepherdcommunity.org
Miriam Medina, Act Six program manager, Urban Ventures
(612) 545-9851 or MiriamMedina@urbanventures.org
Nathan Geer, dean of students, Corban University
(503) 375-7010 or ngeer@corban.edu
Lindsay Knox, vice president for enrollment and marketing, George Fox University
(503) 554-2242 or lknox@georgefox.edu
Julie McCulloh, associate provost of enrollment management, Gonzaga University
(509) 313-6591 or mcculloh@gu.gonzaga.edu
Gabriel Pinon, director of admissions, Heritage University
(509) 865-0420 ext. 2026 or pinon_g@heritage.org
Andy Hall, director of admissions, Northwest University
(425) 889-5212 or andy.hall@northwestu.edu
Brady Daly, admission counselor, Pacific Lutheran University
(253) 535-7158 or dalybc@plu.edu
Patty Lemon, director of admissions, Saint Martin’s University
(360) 688-2104 or plemon@stmartin.edu
Raul Sanchez, assistant director of admissions for diversity, equity & inclusion, Whitworth University
(509) 777-4729 or raulsanchez@whitworth.edu
Sarah Griesse, dean of students, Augsburg University
(612) 330-1489 or griesse@augsburg.edu
Jeffrey Lemke, vice president of admissions and enrollment, Bethany Lutheran College
(507) 344-7373 or Jeffrey.lemke@blc.edu
Bret Hyder, director of admissions, Bethel University
(651) 638-6438 or bret-hyder@bethel.edu
Samantha Axvig, director of admission operations, Concordia College
(218) 299-4562 or axvig@cord.edu
Joshua A. Edmonds, director of multicultural development and spiritual life,
North Central University
(612) 343-4786 or jaedmon@northcentral.edu
Jennifer Cates, associate director of admissions, Oakland City University
(812) 749-1220 or jcates@oak.edu
Nathan Baker, vice president for enrollment management, Taylor University
(765) 998-5563 or nathan_baker@taylor.edu
Hannah Anderson, assistant director of admissions – operations,
University of Northwestern-St. Paul
(651) 631-5135 or hmanderson2@unwsp.edu