Meet the Goldberg Scholars from Previous Cohorts

KIPP Massachusetts Alumna 

Born in Nigeria, Adedunmola “Praise” Adewale came to the United States at the beginning of her freshman year of high school, where her family settled in Lynn, Massachusetts. Adedunmola joined KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate her sophomore year. She is currently a Junior at Bowdoin College, where she is double majoring in Biochemistry and Sociology. Throughout her college career, Adedunmola has been a pillar in her community. She’s the leader of the FemPower Club that provides campus-wide awareness against gender-based violence and womanhood experience. She’s the House Chair of a college house where she organizes campus-wide events and Programmings, and she’s a student researcher studying Helicobacter pylori function in the human body to find new therapeutic ways. She aspires to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.

KIPP Massachusetts alumna

Elizabeth Agbedun just completed her second year of college. She’s double majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology while also on the pre-med track. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a medical career. She’s very passionate about racial and gender issues so she plans to use her career to combat these issues. She is on the board of multiple black student organizations on her campus. Elizabeth works with others to help create a safe space for black identities at Mount Holyoke College.

KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools Alumnus

Jaliwa is an alumnus of KIPP Metro Atlanta Schools and Paideia High School. He was the recipient of his high school’s Headmaster’s award and one of two students selected for the prestigious Governor’s Honors Program. Passionate about sustainability, he recently launched a self-sustaining community garden at an affordable housing complex in Edgewood. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper “The Forum”, the Track and Field Varsity Captain, and the former captain of the Debate Team. He is currently a freshman at Duke University where he is eager to work on big projects and build his leadership skills.

KIPP LA Schools Alumnus

Gerardo is an alumnus of KIPP LA Public Schools and Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School. His passion for mathematics, along with his background in repairing automobiles, has prompted him to pursue an engineering major in college. In his community, he is a trusted advocate and leader. At just ten years old, he helped his parents purchase their first home, which included setting up an appointment, negotiation on price, and translating contracts from English to Spanish. He is a freshman attending Stanford University in hopes of obtaining not only a bachelor’s degree but as well as a master’s degree.

KIPP Houston Public Schools Alumna

Jacquelyn is a KIPP Generations Collegiate alumna. She is a first-generation student who aspires to empower her community through law and policy, and plans to pursue immigration law after college and become a U.S. Senator. She is already well on her way there and has taken on numerous leadership opportunities as a POSSE scholar, as president of her high school’s National Honor Society, as captain of the varsity soccer team, as president of a women’s empowerment club called IGNITE, and expanding her horizons traveling abroad during her junior year. She is currently a freshman at Bryn Mawr College, double majoring in English and Political Science with a minor in Mathematics.

KIPP NYC Alumnus

Born in the US and raised in the Dominican Republic (DR), Airam lived in the DR for 8 years before returning back to the US and settling in New York City. With a passion for continuous learning, Airam hopes is pursuing degrees in Industrial Management, Systems Engineering and Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As an executive member of the Gamma Tau chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha and captain of the club basketball team, Airam has shown his leadership skills inside and out of classroom.

KIPP Massachusetts Alumna

Jessica is an alumna of KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate. Passionate about content creation and Afro-Caribbean culture, she has pursued artistic opportunities to choreograph for Ritmo Latino, study Latinx art history and Caribbean music, and exhibit her own large-scale art installations at Williams College. Eager to build community coalitions, Jessica has led digital marketing efforts for Black Previews (the first, student-ran program for admitted students of color) and SoCA — the Caribbean student organization. She is a junior at Williams College majoring in American Studies with a specialization in Comparative Studies in Race, Ethnicity, and Diaspora and a concentration in Latina/o Studies. In the past year, she conducted a research project on the intersection of Race and Beauty Standards with the non-profit MUDE in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and interned for Article 22, an ethically sourced jewelry line. As a first generation student of Afro-Dominican descent, she is ecstatic to be the first in her family to attend a private, liberal arts college and wants to gain more experience in digital marketing, communications, e-commerce and entrepreneurship.

KIPP Bay Area Schools Alumna

Maleah is a KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory alumna. She is a rising junior at Duke University and is majoring in Sociology with a minor in Chemistry and Japanese on the Pre-Med track. She is a Cardea Fellow, a member of Nakisai African Dance Ensemble, and Future Is Now on campus. She is passionate about working in the medical field and is apart of the 2020 Reimagine Medicine Cohort, an innovative humanities summer fellowship for pre-health students. Maleah aspires to one day become a surgeon, making the healthcare system more equitable for people of color along the way.

KIPP Bay Area Schools Alumnus

Khoa is a KIPP San Jose Collegiate alumnus. He grew up in Vietnam and moved to San Jose when he was fifteen years old. He is interested in pursuing a career that couples his interests in environmental chemistry and public health. He spent the summer of 2017 as a research intern at Stanford where he focused on stormwater treatment, developing findings that will help inform future filtration systems. Khoa has served as Vice President of Key Club and as a volunteer at his local library for 3 years to support his high school and community through various fundraising events and tutoring programs. Khoa is now a freshman at Harvard University.

KIPP Colorado Schools Alumna 

Citlaly Fierro is a KIPP Denver Collegiate High School alumnus. During her time in high school, she realized that she had a deep passion for social activism and now aspires to make an impact through public health. During her sophomore year, Citlaly was a part of two programs “WHY” and “STAMP”. The two programs focus on amplifying and unifying the voices of students of color in Denver Public Schools. She has worked relentlessly to grow as a leader, student, and person. Citlaly is a freshman at Colorado State University-Fort Collins.

KIPP Baltimore Alumnus

Joshua is an alumnus of KIPP Baltimore and Gilman High School in Baltimore, MD. His leadership extends beyond the classroom and deep into his community, as a former member of Gilman’s Black Awareness Club, a volunteer for the Bridges Baltimore program, and a tutor for younger students at Boys Hope Girls Hope in Baltimore.  He is now a freshman at Tufts University, where he’s majoring in engineering. Joshua plans to continue to give back to help young people in Baltimore succeed.

KIPP LA Schools Alumna

Anaid is a KIPP LA Public Schools and The Waverly School alumna, a competitive, independent high school in Pasadena, CA. Anaid’s interest in computer science has led her to start La Niña, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower young Latinas, contest the patriarchy of male-dominated careers, and expose girls to careers that they potentially have never been exposed to. She started her non-profit at KIPP LA Prep in Boyle Heights where she teaches a group of fifteen fifth-graders how to code using Scratch. Anaid is a freshman studying computer science at Mount Holyoke College.

KIPP LA Schools Alumna

Metztli is a KIPP LA alumna and Mendez High School alumna who now attends the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is determined to make a positive impact for students in higher education, especially those who have been in the foster care system and dealt with incarceration. As a former foster youth, she knows the challenges so many children and young adults face and is dedicated to being an advocate for those who may not have a voice or platform to speak on the issue. She dreams of one day becoming a political representative for her community and plans to create her own non-profit organization to provide the resources and mentorship many students seek. Metztli is currently developing her skills to do so as a Talent Acquisition Intern for Foster America, the Vice President of Lambda Theta Alpha, and the Vice President of Recruitment for the Latino Business Student Association.

KIPP Colorado Schools Alumnus 

Rodrigo is an alumnus of KIPP Denver Collegiate High School and a freshman at Duke University. He is interested in pursuing a degree in computer engineering. Rodrigo was a member of the varsity soccer team and since 2014, has also played club soccer through C.A.S.A. He is a hard worker and quick study, developing customer service and technical skills at his family’s automotive business. As the oldest of four siblings, Rodrigo will be the first in his family to go to college.

KIPP Houston Public Schools Alumnus

Cedric is a KIPP Sunnyside High School alumnus. Throughout his years in high school, Cedric exhibited leadership in more ways than one. His leadership as the captain of KIPP Sunnyside’s basketball team and participation in the Unfamiliar Talent Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has helped him make the Texas Christian Athletic League 1st Team All-State, also winning the first ever KIPP Sunnyside state championship. Not only does Cedric have a passion for basketball, but he also has a passion for science and business. He attends Murray State College where he’s a part of the Men’s basketball team, studying science, and looking forward to furthering his career in basketball.

KIPP Houston Public Schools Alumnus

Horus is a rising junior who is majoring in finance and accounting. He loves learning about financial markets, corporate strategy, budgeting, and investing. Consequently, he has explored these interests by interning within asset management and FP&A roles. Additionally, he helped co-found the first undergraduate investment club in his college. After he graduates, he is excited to start his career in finance while helping new generations of students prepare for careers in business.

KIPP NYC Alumna

Sharmely is an alumna of KIPP NYC College Prep High School. She is currently a freshman attending Colorado College. She aspires to volunteer as a Community Youth Worker through the Peace Corps after college and plans on either returning to KIPP as a KIPP Through College Counselor or pursuing a career in journalism. She is passionate about using her voice to make a positive impact on the world. Sharmely is a member of the Robin Hood Teen Council and is Co-Captain of Dreamspeak, her school’s spoken word team.

KIPP Houston Public Schools Alumna

Jannina is a proud and present alumna of KIPP Northeast College Preparatory High School in Houston, TX. She currently attends Duke University where she’s held an executive position in Mi Gente – the Latinx Organization on campus and tutored students in the Durham community and taught in a New Orleans teaching fellow program. After graduation she hopes to get a masters in Clinical/Educational Psychology  to promote wellness and mental health awareness in the communities she grew up in.

KIPP Massachusetts Alumnus

Jonathan is a KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate alumnus in Massachusetts. He has served as the Student Body President and advocated for greater awareness and protection of KIPP’s LGBT community. He is eager to pursue a career as a civil rights lawyer. Attending Georgetown University, he is majoring in sociology. While at Georgetown, he also hopes to study abroad, join the Georgetown University’s Queer People of Color, and continue to explore the intersectionality of different identities.  

KIPP Delta Public Schools

Anika Mittal is a KIPP Blytheville Collegiate High School alumna. Anika has been a leader in her community and is ready to continue her leadership through the Goldberg Scholars Program. Her goal is to become a physician and return to her community in the Delta to provide needed medical care. Anika is a freshman at the University of Missouri at Kansas City studying Biology.

KIPP Delta Public Schools Alumna

Rachael is a freshman at Pomona College. Rachael has a passion for writing, film, and theatre and is excited to use these platforms to explore the stories of people who have been underrepresented in the media. She is eager to learn the art of storytelling and looks forward to pursuing a career in this field post-college. She is deeply involved in her school community where she is a member of the Birmingham Aids Outreach Youth Advisory Council, member of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, member of the Young Democrats and member of Amnesty International.

KIPP Delta Public Schools Alumna

Kayla is a KIPP Blytheville Collegiate High School alumna in Arkansas. She was a student ambassador and served as a peer leader, mentoring and inspiring younger KIPPsters. In 2017 she received KIPP Delta’s Beyond Z Award, recognizing her strength of character to go above and beyond, both inside and outside the classroom. In 2016 she traveled to Uganda as part of a community service trip and volunteered at Malayaka House, a home for orphaned and abandoned children and young adults. It is there that Kayla discovered her passion for supporting children and is interested in pursuing a career in child psychology. She is a freshman at Hendrix College.

KIPP Nashville Alumnus

Miguel is an alumnus at KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School and is currently a freshman at Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education. He is passionate about teaching and looks forward to one day educating students in underserved communities. He is part of the Collegiate Ambassador Program and Co-Founder of the Just Mercy Book Club, a group dedicated to fighting injustices in the community.

KIPP DC

Breon Robinson is a KIPP DC College Preparatory alumnus. Breon is a rising junior at Duke University majoring in African &  African American Studies (concentrating in the Americas) with a minor in Visual & Media Studies. His passion is the Arts. On campus, Breon is involved in Nakisai African Dance Ensemble and Hoof ‘n’ Horn, the South’s oldest student-run musical theater organization. In addition, Breon is a SPIRE (STEM Pathways for Inclusion, Readiness, and Excellence) affiliate. Upon graduation, Breon plans to acquire his MBA from Business school in Data Analytics or Business Administration. His plan is to work in STEM to break down the barriers that affect African American men in STEM fields.

KIPP LA Public Schools Alumna 

Alejandra is from South Los Angeles and a KIPP LA Public Schools and USC Hybrid High School alumna in Los Angeles, CA. Alejandra has a passion for science and studies Biological Sciences at UC Berkeley. Her passion for medicine developed during an intensive pre-college summer program at Johns Hopkins University where she took Biology and Medicine courses. As a first-generation college student, Alejandra hopes to use her college education to make a positive multi-generational change in her community of South Los Angeles.

KIPP Houston Public Schools

Simon is a senior at KIPP Houston High School and Valedictorian of his class. He is currently a freshman at Yale University. He is interested in pursuing a career in the biomedical or engineering field and has a keen interest in learning about how 3D printing can be applied in various fields. He served on the Student Government as class President and is a team leader for the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society, helping to teach younger children about Vietnamese culture and the Catholic faith. He is a member of the St. Cecelia choir and has a deep interest in music and the arts.

KIPP San Diego Alumna

An activist, Andrea has advocated for Dreamers nationwide. Andrea plans to earn her Master’s degree in order to accomplish her ultimate goal of opening a non-profit organization that helps immigrants and the undocumented community. Andrea found her passion for activism when she advocated for the Dream Act in Washington, D.C. During her time there, she met with Congress to push for legislation that would provide a permanent solution to protect Dreamers. Andrea is a freshman at the University Of San Diego.

KIPP St. Louis  Alumnus 

Delton is an alumnus of KIPP St Louis Public Schools and Saint Louis University High School. He aspires to make a lifelong impact on the city of St Louis through policy and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about bringing together people of different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds, and has led multiple student organizations that aim to create dialogue on issues of race and social justice.  At his high school, he was also the President of the Chinese Club, and a Varsity Sprinter for the Track and Field Team. Delton is a freshman at Washington University in St Louis.

KIPP New Orleans Schools Alumnus

Blake Woods is a KIPP Renaissance High School and BARD Early College alumnus. With a class rank of 2 out of 130, Blake has demonstrated academic achievements as well as leadership in his community. Blake is a POSSE Scholar, co-founder of the KIPP Renaissance baseball team, and a performing poet that performed for the KIPP Gala 2018. With all of his extracurricular activities, Blake also works part-time as a Manager at a local restaurant. In the Fall, Blake is a freshman at the University of Notre Dame studying Biology with a Pre-Med educational track. Blake has dreams of becoming a doctor.

KIPP Bay Area Schools Alumna

Meiyi is attending Harvard College with a concentration in Chemistry. She has a dream of one day becoming an anesthesiologist. Meiyi was a member of the KIPP King Collegiate Interact Club for 3 years and serves as Co-president. The group is a community service organization that aims to make a positive impact both locally and internationally. Meiyi is also Co-president of the student government and is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.