Justice HS grads awarded scholarships

The Justice HS Scholars Class of 2019.

Thanks to the generous contributions of the Justice High School community – alumni, staff, parents, and neighbors – the Justice HS Scholarship Fund awarded a record $160,700 to 74 graduating seniors.

The JHS Scholarship Fund and its partners – the Rotary Club of Bailey’s Crossroads, the Thurgood Marshall Fund, and the Casey Schulman Foundation – awarded a total of 103 scholarships totaling nearly $240,000. That’s the largest total dollar amount ever awarded by the JHS Scholarship Fund and its partners, says Tara Rethore, a member of the fund’s board of directors.

Justice graduate Erik Diaz-Barahona receives the Jeremy Munga Scholarship.

The scholarship winners and their academic achievements were celebrated at Justice High School’s commencement ceremony June 7 at Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University and at the school’s convocation the preceding day.

Founded by parents and community members nearly 15 years ago, the Justice HS Scholarship Fund (known as JHS Scholars) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to make college real for Justice High School seniors.

All scholarships awarded by JHS Scholars and its partners are “last-dollar” funds based on demonstrated need. The scholarship awards close the gap between financial aid packages, all other scholarships, and the remaining costs of college.

The awards are based not only on financial need, however, as scholarship recipients are also selected for their academic success, rigor of coursework, involvement in the school and community, work experience, and family commitments.

“Because our scholarships are last-dollar awards and we try to close the gap for as many qualified students as possible, there’s really no such thing as an ‘average’ award,” says Rethore. “It depends on need, number of students, and the need to provide meaningful support to the students.”

Congratulations to the 2019 Justice High School scholarship recipients:

Decorate a Vet – Wintana Sium
Jeremy Munga – Erik Diaz-Barahona
Ozzie Mask Memorial Scholarship – Jaci Moreno-Gonzalez
Norene Thomas Scholarship – Luis Borda
Svendsen Memorial Scholarship – Ivett Diaz
Baileys Crossroads Rotary Scholarship – Meena Gharangik

Baileys Crossroads Rotary and JHS Scholarship Fund Awards – Philine Lor, Mohamed Osman, Mariam Singerm, Kety Tolesa, Cynthia Martinez, Rubab Qureshi, Jean Barrera, Malleha Rana, and  Jennifer Soto Coca.

JHS Scholarship Fund Awards – Sara Abdel-Hamid, Abdirahman Abdullahi, Mariam Ali, Sheima Amara, Jacqueline Amaya, Katherine Amaya Hernandez, Rida Aslam, Tarin Avila, Oswaldo Barrera Barrera, Danish Bashir, Corey Bond, Mayra Cisneros, Selena De Leon Cifuentes, Greidy L De Leon Giron, Nyoun Deng, Janaan Ebadi, Abigail Fitzpatrick, Wesley Flores, William Flores-Machado, Alicia Gendell, Erica Guandique-Gonzalez, Massiel Guevara, Chitizraj Gurung, Yonita Hailu, Rahela Hashimi, Daya Hawkins, Kevin Hernandez, Shirle Hinojosa Ferrufino, Marwa Kazimi, Haseeb Khan, Faizan Khurshid, Bamlak Messay, Bibiana Mirones, Donia Mohamed, Osman Mohamed-Said, Julia Luce Mouketo, Mohamed Moustafa, Duaa Naz, Tuan Nguyen, Isra Osman, Steeven Paucar-Gonzalez, Kimberly Pham, Muhammad Rafique, Ababeel Rashid, Anthony Sabrera, Ashley Sanchez, Brittney Santos, Dejah Sims-Mays, Anna Tan, Valeria Vera-Crespo, Stefany Villanueva La Torre, and Tatiana Williams.

The named scholarships honor specific people (or groups, like veterans) and usually were initiated by a family or community member, says Rethore. Some are recurring scholarships, kept alive via designated contributions from donors who wish to honor those people.

“Our partner organizations raise money for the scholarships independently and select recipients via their own processes,” she says. “We share the application system and allow students to apply for multiple scholarships with one primary application.”

Scholarship recipients will attend the University of Virginia, Christopher Newport University, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, James Madison University, William & Mary, Northern Virginia Community College, George Washington University, Georgetown University, American University and other institutions of higher education.

In May, five high-achieving Justice seniors received scholarships from the Hispanic Learning Alliance.