The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, awarded this year to Patience Marks, recognizes a Boston College junior who has demonstrated superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the African-American community and African-American issues both on and off campus. More information here.
A look at the other 2014 scholarship finalists:
Gaetan Civil
– The son of Haitian immigrants, and the first in his family to attend college, Civil majors in sociology and economics. He serves in various leadership roles on the Black Student Forum and Student Advisory Board of AHANA Student Programs, and is coordinator of AHANA outreach for the Student Admissions Program. A Jemez Pueblo Service Exchange participant, he has led the Jamaica Magis service immersion trip. He worked as a student leader and preceptor in the Options through Education Program, and for three years has been a Big Brother to a Boston youth. He plans to pursue a career in hospital administration/public health.
Mohamed Diop – A biology major and premed student, Diop grew up in Washington, DC – where, as a longtime volunteer at a soup kitchen, he has twice met President Obama and the first family while serving meals to homeless clients. He was a participant and is now a mentor in AHANA’s Sankofa Leadership Program and is a resident assistant on Upper Campus. He serves as a teaching assistant for a Learning to Learn course and has volunteered as tutor/mentor at a local high school. Diop plans to go to medical school.
Vanessa Omoroghomwan – Studying abroad in Madrid, Omoroghomwan – born in Nigeria and raised in Boston – is a major in political science and philosophy. A BC Neighborhood Center tutor, she taught a second grade class in Jamaica last spring through Campus Ministry’s Jamaican Magis service immersion trip. As the captain of the dance troupe PATU (Presenting Africa To You), she promotes pride in Nigerian and other African cultures, and serves as secretary of the BC Brazilian Club. She plans to pursue a career in law.
Cusaj Thomas – An economics major from Newark, NJ, Thomas credits involvement with the Dedicated Intellectuals of the People discussion group and BC’s male step team with providing encouragement and support in his transition to college. He has worked with youths at the West End Boys and Girls Club, and is involved in a community service research project to examine underachievement of African-American males in school. He has a leadership role in 48 Hours, participated in the Jamaica Mustard Seed service trip, served on the Black History Month planning committee, and is student manager of events for the Alumni Association.
