2019 Gotta Have Sole Scholarship Winners!

We’re so excited to celebrate these outstanding students who have spent time giving back to their communities.

We started this scholarship because we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue higher education and realize their dreams. And we were blown away by the response. We received over 3,700 applications from brilliant, caring and strong individuals.

Here are the 2019 Gotta Have Sole Scholarship Winners!

Emma Healy
California
I am a senior at Napa High School and live in Napa, California. I found my passion for service in middle school and began working on building projects on summer service trips with Sierra Service Project (SSP) and helping to build a local nonprofit as an inaugural board member called Teens Connect to engage teens and provide mental health resources on middle and high school campuses. After my fourth service trip with SSP, I started a local nonprofit, Napa Valley Service Project, where we do service and home repair projects for low income or disabled residents. I’ve continued to volunteer and stay involved with these nonprofits and others, work with special needs kids, run clubs on campus, and participate in other extracurriculars while in high school. Next fall, I will attend a university and major in biology to eventually become a nurse practitioner to be able to help more people.

Jamal Nimer
Illinois
Born to a Palestinian family, I’ve been obsessed with conflict studies and Middle East from a young age. I’ve pursued my interests in high school by involving myself heavily in Model United Nations, as well as several other extracurriculars centered around international relations. Additionally while in high school, I’ve focused on volunteering locally, both at my local health clinics helping with paperwork and processes to improve their services; and also by tutoring students in high need areas nearby. In college, I hope to study public policy and global affairs. These degrees will prime me to work in non-governmental organizations that focus on political and economic issues of international significance.

Adriana Noriega
Arizona
I am currently a senior at Cholla High School in Tucson, Arizona. I am an active member of my community as I regularly volunteer with organizations including Pima County Teen Court - a diversion program for minors who have admitted guilt to their crime; and BeFreePima - a peer-to-peer youth substance misuse prevention group. I serve in the Governor’s Youth Commission as Substance Abuse Committee Chair where I work to reduce substance use in Arizona by executing state-wide social media campaigns and Public Service Announcements. I am passionate about protecting the environment and work with Tucson Clean and Beautiful and GirlScouts to initiate girl-led sustainable development projects including: tree planting, gardening projects, in schools throughout my community. I am an advocate for public education and serve on the Youth Advisory Council/ Tucson Teen Congress. I am driven, dedicated to serving others, and constantly seek out new opportunities to make a difference. I will be pursuing a political science degree at Bowdoin College in hopes of becoming a Lawyer and eventually serving in public office.

Matt Moran
Iowa
Throughout the years, I’ve always loved being involved in activities and connecting with people in my community. Performing is my main passion in life and this year I wanted to find a way to pair it with public service to give back to those around me. I founded U MATTER, a youth empowerment initiative, as a way for me to use performance as a fun way to deliver important social messages to youth in my community. After high school, I plan to attend Tisch School of the Arts at New York University to pursue a career in acting and public service.

Andrew Thomas
Pennsylvania
I currently attend Wilson High School in Reading, PA, where I love to be involved in my school community, and currently serve as the vice president of my school’s student government. I have spent the past year focusing on increasing student government’s outreach into the community, leading volunteer work with our local food bank, boys and girls club, and shelter. I am also the finance captain for Wilson’s mini-THON, which has raised over $200,000 for childhood cancer research! Next year I will be attending Columbia University where I want to study art history.