Power SJSU: Proud and Grateful
Spartan Pride Scholars Hanh Nguyen, Jerome Thomas, Carolyn Thomas, Edgar Jimenez Granados, and Chloe Cramer. Nancy Stewart, Senior Director, Annual Giving and Special Gifts, is second from right. Photo by Nanzi Muro.
This year’s recipients of the SJSU Annual Giving Spartan Pride Scholarship give thanks to SJSU Fund donors.
Funded by donations to the SJSU Fund, the SJSU Annual Giving Spartan Pride Scholarship provides assistance and funding to five incoming freshmen who exemplify the Spartan spirit. That is, students who are hard-working, creative, motivated, inclusive and collaborative. The scholarship is available to students from all majors who are enrolled in at least 12 units and have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.25 or above. It is not dependent on financial need.
As part of this four-year, renewable scholarship, recipients have one-on-one and cohort meetings with Nancy Stewart, the program director. They also become part of a community of 20 total Spartan Pride Scholars by attending workshops and events throughout their time at SJSU.
“This is much more than a regular scholarship. It’s an opportunity to be part of a program and a small community.” —Edgar Jimenez Granados
“Thanks to the award the donors have given to me, I am now one step closer to my dream of connecting people.”—Hanh Linh Nguyen
Meet the Scholars
Chloe Cramer hopes to pursue a career that helps to change the way minority groups are treated in society and promotes equality and justice. She is grateful for her family’s Vietnamese and German cultures. In high school, she was in the student senate and worked with her UCC organization peers and high school principal to create a “Day of Dialogue,” inviting individuals of different backgrounds to speak about social justice issues and what they do to address them. Chloe also interned at her local newspaper. Though undeclared, Chloe is considering majoring in sociology.
Edgar Jimenez Granados loves to volunteer and hopes to help make SJSU a safe, friendly place for all Spartans. He finds his work in a retirement home fulfilling because he helps residents beyond just serving them. Edgar’s creative side comes out with a camera and music when he produces cinematic videos. He enjoys nature and being physically active, so studying kinesiology is a good fit for him. He was active in his high school’s Model UN and international clubs and the Latino Student Union. Edgar’s motivation to work hard comes from his parents, who risked everything so he and his siblings could have more opportunities.
Hanh Linh Nguyen decided to major in animation/illustration to evolve her art hobby into a career, believing that art overcomes language and cultural barriers. After emigrating from Vietnam in 2016, Hanh worked hard learning English and used art to communicate. She ended her first school year in the U.S. with a club board position, good grades and a resolve to apply for college. During high school, she was a board member/webmaster of the Vietnamese Student Association and the club’s social media and marketing coordinator, and a member of Acts of Random Kindness club.
Carolyn Thomas wants to help others optimize their health and heal their ailments through nutrition as a health professional. Her interest in this field was sparked after seeing the powerful effects that proper nutritional intake has on one’s body. She describes herself as a thoughtful, persevering student-athlete and artist. She swam competitively for thirteen years and enjoys cooking, swimming and reading. She is interested in art and has created unique cartoon characters that enhanced messages in her school paper. She is majoring in nutritional science and may minor in French or another humanities program.
Jerome Thomas plans to start his own business or go into accounting—and he wants to make his parents proud. Entrepreneurship is a strong focus for Jerome, so he’s majoring in finance/accounting. He wants to be a role model for the younger generations within his South Central Los Angeles community. Jerome was part of 4wrd Progress, a nonprofit that gives youths opportunities to participate in sporting events, to learn the importance of eating right and staying active, to improve the community, and to take positive actions in order to succeed.
Give to the SJSU Fund Today
Help students like these scholars and give to the SJSU Fund today by visiting Giving to SJSU.
