Goldberg Scholars

An annual scholarship to empower a new generation of diverse leaders. The Dave Goldberg Scholars Program honors the remarkable life and legacy of Dave Goldberg by providing exceptional KIPP graduates with financial support and mentorship throughout college.

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About the Scholars Program

Dave Goldberg Scholarship ProgramIn partnership with the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family FoundationKIPP will select 15 KIPP graduates each year to join the scholarship program as Goldberg Scholars.

Goldberg Scholars will receive:

  • Stipends for critical expenses outside of tuition and room & board that are necessary for a successful college career.
  • A Goldberg Mentor who will provide advice and ongoing support throughout the duration of the scholarship.
  • Support from the Goldberg Connectors, a network of professionals who will help students secure summer internships and job opportunities.
  • An invitation to attend a leadership weekend to engage in professional development, build skills, and connect with other Goldberg Scholars, mentors, and industry influencers.

*For the 2023-24 scholarship application, the Goldberg Scholars Program will be adding an interview component for the 25 semi-finalists during our selection process in mid-March. The semi-finalists will be interviewed by a member of the KIPP Scholarship Program and/or Goldberg Scholars Program team. All selected scholars will be notified by mid-April 2024.  

About Dave Goldberg

Dave GoldbergDave Goldberg believed that everyone should have the opportunity to excel and that even one game-changing idea could make the world a better place.

For Dave, these core values—opportunity and entrepreneurship—came together in education. He was deeply grateful for the first-rate education he received growing up in the Minneapolis public schools, the Blake School, and Harvard University. And he was deeply concerned about how many people don’t have access to a great education. For Dave, education was a right, not a privilege. So when his college friend Richard Barth became CEO of KIPP, Dave wanted to help.

Dave admired KIPP for its entrepreneurial spirit — something he had in abundance. In 1994—the early days of the internet, before broadband, mobile, Pandora or Spotify—Dave became convinced that people would discover and consume music via their computers. He quit his job at Capitol Records and started LAUNCH Media, a digital music media company, in his apartment. He was so ahead of the times (and broadband speeds) that he initially reached his subscribers by sending CD-ROMs in the mail. LAUNCHcast became one of the first personalized radio services and LAUNCHcast Unlimited was one of the first online streaming music services. In 2001, LAUNCH was purchased by Yahoo! and became Yahoo! Music.

In 2009, Dave became the CEO of SurveyMonkey, then a 14-person company. Guided by Dave’s passionate curiosity, the company turned its simple online survey tool into a global data platform that helps people and businesses get the information they need to bring their ideas to life. Under the leadership of Dave and his team, SurveyMonkey grew into a $2 billion company with more than 500 employees. To this day, Dave’s vision is an integral part of SurveyMonkey’s identity.

Dave was beloved by his colleagues, adored by his friends, and cherished by his family. He was a true mensch — warm-hearted, endlessly generous, hilarious, and brilliant. He lives on in the hearts of all who knew him.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Goldberg Scholars will receive up to $60,000 for critical expenses outside of tuition and room & board:

    • Annual school support stipend
    • Annual amenities stipend for books and clothing
    • One-time technology stipend
    • Summer stipend (offered Freshman – Junior year summer)
  • High school seniors in good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0) who plan to enroll full-time in a four-year US accredited degree-program and have financial need are all welcome to apply. To be eligible, you must be a current KIPP High School Senior or KIPP Middle School alumni in their senior year of high school. Last year, applicants came from all of our regions including KIPP and non-KIPP high schools. Ideal candidates should demonstrate the qualities Dave Goldberg exemplified throughout his life and work – academic achievement, leadership, resilience, character, and entrepreneurial spirit.

  • The application period is from October 2, 2023 to February 2, 2024 11:59pm PST.

  • Selected scholars will be notified by Mid April 2024.

  • Applicants can be KIPP high school seniors, or seniors who graduated from a KIPP middle school.

  • No. This program is only open to high school seniors, not KIPP Alumni. However; if you are dually enrolled in college classes, you are welcome to apply for the KIPP Scholarships.

  • Yes! We encourage you to apply. Your citizenship status will not be taken into consideration during the selection process.

  • Yes, applicants are required to submit two recommendations.

    Recommenders should be teachers, counselors, mentors, or individuals to whom you are not related and who can speak to your qualifications for these scholarship programs.

  • Yes, this scholarship program requires an essay. In addition, will be adding an interview component for the 25 semi-finalists during our selection process in mid-March. The semi-finalists will be interviewed by a member of the KIPP Scholarship Program and/or Goldberg Scholars Program team. All selected scholars will be notified by mid-April 2024.  

Meet the 2023 Class of Goldberg Scholars

Dunya Afshar
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Dunya Afshar

University of Pennsylvania

KIPP Northern California Public Schools

When Dunya Afshar graduates from Kipp King Collegiate High School, she will be joining the University of Pennsylvania’s class of 2027 as a first-generation college student. She aspires to major in the interdisciplinary field of political science and international relations. On campus, she leads the Middle Eastern and North African affinity club, mobilizing MENA students to share experiences and build a cultural community. She also leads the Peer Project club, a student-run mentor and resource group for tutoring & community involvement. Outside the classroom, she identifies as a strong social justice advocate, having organized 20+ awareness protests for women and ethnic minorities, presented 30+ speeches, and fundraised $15,000 to support refugee camps. Dunya has made a name for herself by being the youngest certified eyelash technician in Northern California, she chooses to empower women across the bay area through my self-care services to be their best selves.

Moyisola Akinwande
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Moyisola Akinwande

Case Western Reserve University

KIPP New Jersey

Moyisola Akinwande is a senior attending Kipp Collegiate Academy in Newark, New Jersey. She will be attending Case Western Reserve University this fall as a Posse Scholar to major in business administration and minor in psychology because she is fascinated by the human brain and its connection to indecisive decisions. She is passionate about helping others start their own businesses and generate wealth for future generations. She has spent a lot of time learning how to operate cameras and record videos while she was an intern at New Africa Broadcasting Network TV because she also produces a lot of content as the social media manager for the Africa Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time, she works to grow her small business, Global Beauties, so I can continue to assist young and old people in my community who also want to grow their businesses.

Muzamil Ali
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Muzamil Ali

Colorado School of Mines

KIPP Colorado Public Schools

Muzamil Ali attends KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy. He has been attending KIPP since 5th grade and finds it a phenomenal organization that has impacted him as a student to always try to gain more knowledge and become a leader not just for himself but others. Muzamil’s intended major will be computer science and his interests are in coding and business. He is generally passionate about helping others and constantly gaining more knowledge to become a better person.

Emily Amador
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Emily Amador

University of Southern California or Cornell University

KIPP SoCal Public Schools

Emily Amador is from South Los Angeles and attended KIPP Empower Academy for elementary school and KIPP Academy of Opportunity for middle school. She enjoys writing, public speaking, and using art as a form of resistance. She grew up listening to Selena, eating and smelling the aroma of pozole, and being surrounded by a family of immigrants. She will use her undergraduate education and experience to harness the tools necessary to create effective, and long-term change in the communities she represents and beyond. She aims to write a collection of books, to graduate law school, and become a congresswoman who advocates for the civil rights of all regardless of their identifiers. Becoming President is her ultimate goal. She works so that the next generation of BIPOC have support and safe environments with opportunities to one day flourish into mariposas (butterflies).

Aja Bhooma
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Aja Bhooma

University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA

KIPP Northern California Public Schools

Aja Bhooma is an ambitious person who loves to lead but is always willing to learn. He is a senior looking to major in business administration and has maintained straight A’s in KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory, while taking over 10 college-level classes there. Aside from academics, he really enjoys physical activities as well, whether it be playing basketball and baseball for his school or biking 18 miles from the Giant’s stadium across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. He also loves surfing, as it makes him feel one with the ocean. He has swam competitively for almost all his life, which would explain his natural aptitude for the water. In addition, he loves to try and do new things, challenging himself every day to learn something new.

Kenia Cardenas
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Kenia Cardenas

The University of Texas - Austin

KIPP Texas Public Schools – Austin

Kenia Cardenas is currently a senior at KIPP Austin Collegiate. Her desired major is business, and she plans to have her own company one day. Since she was a kid, she has always been passionate about math. The numbers make sense to her, as no other subject does. For this reason, she has leaned into the business field and wants to make it accessible to those in need. In addition, recently, she has been incredibly fond of sports and being active. It removes any stress, and she especially enjoys going to the gym or playing soccer with her older siblings. Each of us has different paths that we want to pursue, and she wants to take the time to bond with her three brothers as much as possible to avoid drifting apart. Above all else, her family will always be her number one priority.

Cindy Cuellar
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Cindy Cuellar

Boston University

KIPP Massachusetts Public Schools

Cindy Cuellar was destined to be a “Milagro” (miracle), or so her mom would say. She was born in Putumayo, Colombia, and lived there until she was 16. In 2020 for the first time, she said bye to her mom and moved to the United States where a new life awaited her. Currently, she is a senior at KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate, where she has had the opportunity to create meaningful connections and explore her possibilities to their fullest potential. She is passionate about traveling to new places and dancing. Traveling has filled her with core experiences that have opened her eyes to new ideas, whilst dancing has taught her a lot about herself and helped her develop into the young woman that she is today. After high school, she plans to attend Boston University and explore her interest in neuroscience and international relations as she decides her path.

Damion Doswell Jr.
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Damion Doswell Jr.

Lincoln University

KIPP Philadelphia

Damion Doswell Jr. is a Class of 2023 KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy graduate who has been attending KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools since the sixth grade. Damion will be attending Lincoln University and is passionate about studying biology and applying to medical school to study neuroscience. He has always been committed to excellence both on and off the football field, as Damion is a student athlete who has remained focused on his academics while being a tight end and linebacker on the KIPP DuBois Lions football team. Outside of school, Damion enjoys exploring his entrepreneurial spirit through his own clothing business, “Daimoni De Mon,” founded in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it be through school, sports, or his small business, Damion loves a challenge and is excited to embark on his transition to college next fall.

Daenna Gonzalez
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Daenna Gonzalez

Stanford University

KIPP Texas Public Schools – Houston

Daenna Gonzalez has attended KIPP for the past 15 years. She is currently a senior at KIPP Houston High School who will graduate in the top 5% of her class. Over the course of her high school career, she has discovered a passion for STEM and aligning that with giving back to her community. She aspires to be a role model for other first-generation Latina students and begin a wave of representation in prestigious universities. Witnessing first-hand the difficulties that plague her community has been one of her biggest motivators to take risks, push beyond discomfort, and pursue what is deemed impossible. She will be attending Stanford University this upcoming fall where her intended major is management science and engineering. She hopes to use her fields of study to help marginalized communities.

Jaleel Grinnage
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Jaleel Grinnage

The University of Richmond

KIPP Philadelphia

Jaleel Grinnage, a KIPP Dubois Collegiate Academy senior, plans to major in business and communication at the University of Richmond. He strives to achieve prosperity in the field of entrepreneurship and eventually pass on his acquired knowledge and success by mentoring up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Last summer, Jaleel participated in Princeton’s Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America, through which students from all over the globe received eye-opening leadership training and writing instruction. His research project on resolving gun violence in his hometown of Philadelphia won first place for the most impactful Community Impact Project. Looking forward, Jaleel aspires to become a big-time entrepreneur and businessman and give back to society as a whole through leading nonprofit organizations and offering free entrepreneurial training courses. Outside of his scholarly pursuits, Jaleel enjoys diving into the pool of thrills and knowledge that greet him in his current electrical engineering and general contracting apprenticeship.

Jahdyn Haynes
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Jahdyn Haynes

University of Notre Dame

KIPP Indy Public Schools

Jahdyn Haynes lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has attended KIPP Indy since 6th grade. He loves reading mystery books and hanging out with his friends doing normal teenage things like gaming or movies. He loves tutoring and helping his siblings and others at school because he sees the effort people put into wanting to perfect something and he envies that in people and himself. He is an independent, goal-driven individual who has a loud voice and a promise to get things done. Jahdynplans to attend the University of Notre Dame this fall hoping to major in political science and communications. 

Karla Navarro Mondragon
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Karla Navarro Mondragon

Wellesley College

KIPP Texas Public Schools – Austin

Karla Navarro Mondragon is a first-gen senior at KIPP Austin Brave High School. Aside from their involvement in Brave Student Leaders, they are a part of the Brave Varsity Girl’s Soccer and Basketball Team. They’re interested in social justice and politics as well as photography and communications. Karla hopes to help and push their community forward toward a better future.

Genesis Parfait
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Genesis Parfait

University of New Haven

KIPP New Jersey

Genesis Parfait is currently a senior at Newark Collegiate Academy. Some of her accomplishments are becoming the volleyball captain, being a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Newark for over ten years, starting a peer mentorship program, being in the honor society, and becoming school president. She is interested in majoring in forensic science and minoring in digital marketing. Forensic science is her top choice because she is pretty good at diagnosing situations & she finds it interesting that this field of science is investigative. She gets to go through the evidence and help solve cases for the betterment of her community. She is passionate about ending her senior year with a bang. She believes that hard work gets you to great places and while it’s pretty hard to get there, she is on track. She’s made sacrifices and received opportunities that make her a better person.

Jaidyn Pearson
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Jaidyn Pearson

Missouri State University

KIPP St. Louis Public Schools

Jaidyn Pearson is a KIPP Saint Louis High School and KIPP Triumph Academy scholar. She dreams of becoming a nuclear physician and photographer. Jaidyn has a drive for capturing beautiful and meaningful images of life, while also working to create change and make a difference in the nuclear medical field. During high school, Jaidyn was a member of the Honors Society, captain of the basketball team, and captain of the volleyball team. She is extremely dedicated to making her mark on other people and staying determined to transfer her love of sports to others. In addition, Jaidyn hopes to be able to start a small clothing business in college to not only help pay for college but to also create her own brand.

Luisa Bautista Rojas
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Luisa Bautista Rojas

Boston College

KIPP Massachusetts Public Schools

Luisa Bautista will graduate from KIPP Academy Collegiate in June 2023. Fueled by past experiences and a yearning for advocacy and justice, Luisa plans to attend Boston College and pursue her intended major, Criminal Justicewith a minor in political science. One of her dreams is to be a prosecutor and lawyer to help people who have been through domestic abuse and unfair homicide cases. She hopes to help those people get the justice that they deserve. As a victim of domestic abuse, she didn’t get the proper representation and one of her goals is to help other people that have been through a similar situation to get the appropriate guidance in the legal field.

Sydney Zeng
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Sydney Zeng

University of California - San Diego

KIPP Northern California Public Schools

Sydney Zeng is currently a Senior at KIPP King Collegiate High School. She is heavily involved in her school’s student leadership class. She has grown from being the design executive by curating a social media page that has reached 60% of the student body, to becoming executive lead creating “moments” for the students on campus. She is also the secretary for “Interact,” a student-led club aimed at providing leadership and service opportunities for students in their community. Sydney is a Youth Fellow at CORO as she has contributed to producing a resource webpage and podcast series to address the limited discussion of mental health in youth. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in the healthcare industry as she has witnessed the disparities in her own family. Otherwise, she hopes to pursue entrepreneurship and marketing to be at the forefront of creating platforms for people’s well-being.