15 KIPP Students Receive $60,000 Each from the Dave Goldberg Scholars Program
The scholarship also provides non-tuition financial assistance and mentorship.
Contact: Debra Wexler, media@kipp.org
New York — Today, KIPP Public Schools and the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation (SGB) announced the 2024 recipients of the Dave Goldberg Scholarship. Fifteen high school seniors were selected from hundreds of applicants from the KIPP Public Schools network. They join the network’s 109 previous recipients of the award, named for the late Silicon Valley executive Dave Goldberg. This video captures the moment students were notified they were chosen as Goldberg Scholars.
“Dave believed every child should have an equal chance to thrive and succeed in this world,” said Sheryl Sandberg, Founder of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation. “These Goldberg Scholars reflect the determination, resilience, and hard work that Dave embodied throughout his life. Finding ways to honor him — to do the good he would be doing if he were still with us — means the world to our family. I know Dave would be so proud to see how the program is helping these incredibly talented students have access to the opportunities they deserve.”
All 15 new Goldberg Scholars will receive a unique combination of financial support and mentorship during their four-year college experience. Highlights include:
- Critical financial support totaling approximately $15,000 per year per student to cover a range of non-tuition needs not traditionally met by college-based financial aid
- A Goldberg Mentor to provide guidance and support on a regular basis throughout college
- Support from Goldberg Connectors, a network of professionals who will help scholars secure summer internships and job opportunities
“The Goldberg Scholars Program creates unmatched opportunities for KIPP students who have shown outstanding leadership, determination and character,” KIPP Foundation CEO Shavar Jeffries said. “We are grateful for not only the financial support it provides, but also the exceptional access it grants to a powerful network and support system for success in college and careers. I look forward to seeing what these brilliant Scholars do next.”
This year’s Goldberg Scholars include:
- Nicole Isibor, senior at KIPP Houston High School, plans to study health promotion and disease prevention at the University of Southern California. A sickle-cell survivor and volunteer with local cancer organizations, she plans to pursue a career as a pediatric hematologist.
- Alejandro Nina Duran, senior at KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate High School in Massachusetts, plans to study economics and finance at Duke University. A proud native of the Dominican Republic, he hopes to teach financial literacy to marginalized communities.
- Amari Shepherd, senior at Frederick A. Douglass High School in New Orleans, plans to study political science at Rice University. President of her student body, an award-winning published author, and a member of the mayor’s and superintendent’s advisory councils, she aims to become a judge.
“I’ve witnessed firsthand how this program carries on Dave’s legacy by doing what Dave would have done — help others have every opportunity to excel and grow,” said Rob Goldberg, Dave’s brother and founder of Forge LLC. “The newest cohort of Goldberg Scholars, like the ones that precede them, is inspiring and remarkable. It’s an honor to be part of their journeys and to help empower them to become the next generation of leaders. Nothing would have made Dave prouder.”
The 15 scholarship recipients come from nine KIPP regions across the United States, who are KIPP high school seniors or seniors who graduated from a KIPP middle school, and who have been accepted at an accredited four-year degree program. Many will be the first in their families to attend college.
SGB established the Goldberg Scholarship Program in October 2017 to support graduating high school seniors from KIPP schools across the country who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and achievement. The scholarship honors the legacy of Dave Goldberg by supporting a new generation of trailblazers who have demonstrated Dave’s qualities of leadership, resilience, achievement, character, and entrepreneurial spirit. Each year, SGB has opened applications for the Goldberg Scholars Program on Goldberg’s birthday, October 2.
“Dave recognized the power of education and how it contributed to his success,” said Tom Bernthal, Dave’s friend and Board Member at the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation. “He made it his purpose to give back and help others succeed simply because it was the right thing to do. It’s an honor to celebrate Dave by lifting up these incredible scholars. I look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the future.”
About the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation
The Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation works to build a more equal and resilient world. SGB brings people together to support each other through key initiatives: LeanIn.Org, LeanInGirls.Org, OptionB.Org, and the Dave Goldberg Scholars Program.
About KIPP
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 275 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and life. KIPP schools are part of the free public-school system, and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle-school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll over 120,000 students in pre-K through high school, and it operates schools in 21 states and Washington, D.C.