2015-2016 Wildflower Fund Recipients
In 2015-16, we distributed $49,000 from the Wildflower Fund (Wildflower Run registrations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations) in support of education and equity for women and girls. Funds raised were allocated to the following:
High School scholarship recipients helping at the 2016 Wildflower Run
Provide scholarships to high school girls graduating from Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) schools.
| Caitlyn Cruise | Ann Sobrato High School | Ag Services/Education | |
| Dora Jimenez | Ann Sobrato High School | Computer Engineering | |
| Julia Leal | Live Oak High School | Stanford University | Biology |
| Shelby McDonald | Ann Sobrato High School | Education | |
| Tiana Ortiz | Central High School | Gavilan Community College | Nursing |
| Lifen Shi | Live Oak High School | Bio-Engineering | |
| Rhyleigh Thompson | Live Oak High School | San Jose State University | Nursing |
Provide “Re-Entry Scholarships” to local women reentering college after a gap in their education.
| Sandina Daly | Gavilan Community College |
| Melissa Vasquez | Gavilan Community College |
NEW: Provide a “Lauren Jenkins Health Care Profession Scholarship” to a Gavilan Community College nursing student.
First Healthcare Profession Scholarship recipient, Jacquelyn Cook, with committee chair Kathleen Sullivan
| Jacquelyn Cook | Gavilan Community College |
Provide supplemental Keeping In Touch (KIT) grants to previous scholarship recipients to support them as they continue in their field of study.
Former high school scholarship recipients:
| Alejandra Cruz | UC Santa Barbara | Sociology & Chicano Studies |
| Mireya Avila | UC Santa Cruz | Political Science |
| Whitney Waller | CSU Sacramento | Psychology |
| Heather Sjostedt | Savannah College of Art & Design | Visual Effects & Animation |
| Diana Fuentes | San Jose State University | Sociology |
Former re-entry scholarship recipients:
| Anika Mathewson | Psychology at Gavilan College, with plans to transfer to CSU MB |
| Lydia Riojas | Business Administration and Accounting at San Jose State University |
Sponsor a college student from Morgan Hill to participate in NCCWSL (National Conference for College Women Student Leaders), an annual national leadership conference for college women. In 2016 we donated the registration fee to AAUW nationally; they used the funds to send a Morgan Hill college student to NCCWSL.
| Lydia Riojas | San Jose State University |
NEW: Provide Community Action Grants to local non-profit organizations for projects whose goals are consistent with AAUW’s mission.
| Learning and Loving Education Center | QuickBooks software and supplies for immigrant women students |
| Community Solutions | Teatro Vision theater outing for at risk MHUSD students |
| Friends of the Morgan Hill Library/BookSmart | Gift of Reading books for MHUSD elementary school students |
| Discovery Counseling Center | Bold Journey (youth mentoring) for MHUSD elementary school students |
Support Girls Engaged in Math and Science (GEMS), a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) after-school enrichment program, sponsored by AAUW Morgan Hill and consisting of monthly field trips, lectures, and other programs. GEMS is free and open to all girls in the Morgan Hill Unified School District in grades 8 through 12.
Sponsor a local speech competition as part of Speech Trek, a state-wide AAUW program. First, second, and third place winners each received cash prizes.
| Nikhita Gopisetty (1st) | Oakwood School |
| Kelsey Valentine (2nd) | Ann Sobrato High School |
| Lindsey Hillesland (3rd) | Live Oak High School |
Provide scholarships to send MHUSD Middle School students to Tech Trek, an AAUW-sponsored one week math and science summer camp at Stanford University for middle school girls.
Tech Trek campers helping at the 2016 Wildflower Run
| Ines Bouissou | Jackson Academy of Math & Music |
| Taylor Conely | Martin Murphy Middle School |
| Danielle Hobbs | Martin Murphy Middle School |
| Cristin Huffman (Alternate #1) | Charter School of Morgan Hill |
| Asia Mathaw | Martin Murphy Middle School |
| Abigail Pina | Martin Murphy Middle School |
| Soraya Reyes | Britton Middle School |
| Madison Reddy (Alternate #2) | Jackson Academy of Math & Music |
| Vanessa Torres | Britton Middle School |
| Allison Webenbauer | Britton Middle School |
Provide an additional lump sum grant to the Tech Trek camp at Stanford University. Uses may include extra capital needs such as technology upgrades or additional enrichment such as more field trips.
Sponsor branch participation in the Leadership Morgan Hill class of 2016.
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Margaret McCann | AAUW Morgan Hill branch member |
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Kathleen Sullivan | AAUW Morgan Hill branch member |
Offer to local high school students, in collaboration with Anaerobe Systems, a “Lauren Jenkins STEM Workshop”, funded through individual donations in memory of AAUW member, geneticist, and GEMS founder Dr. Lauren Jenkins.
Underwrite national AAUW priorities. These include graduate fellowships for women, community action grants, pioneering research, public policy advocacy, legal advocacy,and leadership programs.
Add to our “Morgan Hill Wildflower Run Research and Projects Grant Endowment.” This $75,000 endowment was established in 2014, to be funded by proceeds from the Wildflower Run. When completed, the endowment will support community action and career development grants.
Another branch endowment, the $100,000 Blaine/Cate Endowment for Graduate Fellowships (#1802) was completed in 2001. It funds an annual graduate or postgraduate fellowship.
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Rachel Pusaten Nelson | UC Santa Cruz | Ph.D. Visual studies | Communicating Conflict, Mediating Dissent: Political Discord in Contemporary Art |
