Every year the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to students who embody the mission of being a champion on the courts, in the classrooms and throughout the community. This year we were able to award over $41,000 in scholarships through our first ever virtual ceremony. Many children who attend the Foundation live in low-income households and would struggle to attend higher education due to financial difficulties.
Our goal is to help recipients overcome obstacles and hardships and break cycles of generational poverty. The majority of scholarships are donated by volunteers and partners who believe in our students’ potential and the Foundation’s mission. To earn these scholarships, students participate in a lengthy application and interview process and are given awards based on their merit as successful students, athletes and community members.
MWYF’s most prestigious scholarships is the George M. Soper Student Athlete of the Year Award, which awards the recipient $5,000 to further their education. Our 2020 Student Athlete of the Year is Mya Sudduth, who was chosen based on her excellent sportsmanship, perfect 4.0 GPA and dedication to succeed in the classroom and on the tennis court. Mya is currently an 11th-grade student at Andrew Jackson High School and plans to attend Florida State University and major in Biology.
Congratulations Mya, on all your hard work and we can’t wait to you see you excel as you grow!
Words cannot express how proud we are of all our award recipients. They pushed through adversities with kindness, determination and intelligence to achieve their dreams. Below is the list of all scholarship recipients:
Sherry Murray Extra Mile Scholarship
Students who made an extra effort in academics, behavior, and/or tennis received either $500 or $1,000 each.
Tywan Allen., 9th, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
Neriah Owens, 7th, River City Science Academy
Deshai Bell, 10th, Robert E. Lee High School
Tyhlur Reynolds, 7th, LaVilla School of the Arts
Kendall Ford, 10th, Stanton College Preparatory School
Lannis Richardson, 9th, William M. Raines High School
Zion Gobi-Denson, 6th, John E. Ford K-8 School
Skylar Robinson, 8th, Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts
Tatiyana Goodman, 8th, John E. Ford K-8 School
Ny’reon Shuman, 10th, Bishop Kenny High School
Amaya Morene, 8th, Kirby-Smith Middle School
Elijah Thomas, 5th, R.V. Daniels Elementary School
Caleb Owens, 8th, James Weldon Johnson Middle School
Zoe Gaudet Scholarship & Agassi Advantage Award
All graduating seniors who are serious about continuing their education received Zoe Gaudet Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 and laptops courtesy of the (Andre) Agassi Advantage Award.
Jaravion Bell, Senior, William M. Raines High School
Mauricia Brown, Senior, William M. Raines High School
Skyy Steward, Senior, William M. Raines High School
Rick Murray “Don’t Quit” Scholarship
This award is given to acknowledge students who have persevered through adversity.
Journee Hayes, 6th, John E. Ford K-8 School ($1,500 runner up)
Taifa Kumalo, 9th, Robert E. Lee High School ($3,500 winner)
iMethods Meaningful Work Scholarship
This $2,000 award was given to a student who participated in monthly work readiness, career preparation programs.
Mauricia Brown, Senior, William M. Raines High School
Carol Hadley Community Service Award
Given to the student who best exemplifies Carol’s spirit of volunteerism, this $2,250 award was established to encourage community service.
Sorenity Hayes, 9th, Robert E. Lee High School
THE PLAYERS Championship Driven to Succeed Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates champion-level behavior throughout the year.
Breonna Holley, 8th, John E. Ford K-8 School
