2018-2019 Wildflower Fund Recipients
In 2018-19, we distributed $51,000 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:
Provide scholarships to high school girls graduating from Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) schools.

Some of our 2019 scholarship recipients helping at the Wildflower Run. Front Row L-R: Ariana Berumen, Anita Alvarez, Shannon Mortela. Back Row, L-R: MHUSD Superintendent Steve Betando, Sandra Saldana, Katlyn Lemieux, Sruchi Patel, Linh Am, Mayor Rich Constantine
Linh An | Ann Sobrato High School | ||
Shirley Antonio Arriaga | Live Oak High School | Biomedical Engineering | |
Alyssa Gonzales | Live Oak High School | CSU San Diego | Biology |
Lindsey Hillesland | Live Oak High School | University of British Columbia | Political Science |
Katelyn Lemieux | Ann Sobrato High School | ||
Julie Muzzi | Live Oak High School | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | Agriculture/Business |
Tiffany Nguyen | Ann Sobrato High School | University of Rochester | Biology |
Sruchi Patel | Ann Sobrato High School | UCLA | Film / TV |
Sandra Zamora Saldana | Central High School | Gavilan Community College | Photography |
Provide “Re-Entry Scholarships” to local women reentering college after a gap in their education.
Kim Benjamin
San Jose State University
Communication Studies
Rishelle Zertuche
Gavilan Community College
Nursing
Provide “Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Profession Scholarships” to college students from Morgan Hill who are pursuing a degree in a healthcare profession.
Kaleasha Acevedo
Gavilan Community College
Nursing
Marisol Cervantes
CSU Stanislaus
Nursing
Izamary Ibanez
Gavilan Community College
Nursing
Morgan Kissinger
CSU Monterey Bay
Marriage/Family Therapy
Xuan-Uyen Nguyen
CSU Long Beach
Neonatal Nursing
Provide supplemental Keeping In Touch (KIT) grants to previous scholarship recipients to support them as they continue in their field of study.
Jordyne Atkins
West Valley Community College
Administrative Justice
Anita Alvarez
CSU Monterey Bay
Psychology
Lindsay Baker
Gavilan Community College
Allied Health
Ariana Berumen
UC Berkeley
Sociology
Lyssa Fuentes
CSU Monterey Bay
Pre-Law
Raya Kavosh
UC San Diego
Data and Cognitive Science
Shelby McDonald
California Baptist University
Psychology
Shannon Mortela
CSU Monterey Bay
Sociology
Arabella Williams
Cabrillo Collegy
Psychology
Lifen Shi
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Biomedical Engineering
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. Funding includes travel expenses plus conference registration.

Janet Orozco
Occidental College
Critical Theory & Social Justice
Provide funding and mentorship for local teens to host an annual, all-day Future Women Leaders Conference, open to local middle and high school students.

2019 Margie Snively Future Women Leaders Conference
Provide Community Action Grants to local non-profit organizations for projects whose goals are consistent with AAUW’s mission.
Community Solutions
Creative Powerful Women art therapy program for women who are victims of domestic violence
Learning and Loving Education Center
Textbooks for ESL students
Discovery Counseling Center
Bold Journey (youth mentoring) for MHUSD elementary school students
BookSmart Community Advantage
Stop the Summer Slump program, providing books to Title I students at local elementary schools
South Valley Science and Engineering Fair
Future Women Leaders Conference
San Martin Gwinn School
Uniforms and referees for middle school athletics
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. Our first place winner also went on to place second in the state contest.

2019 Speech Trek winners. L-R: Sabrina Bohnsack, Diya Khandra, Sofia Ruster
Sofia Rustor (1st)
Oakwood School
Diya Khandra (2nd)
Ann Sobrato High School
Sabrina Bohnsack (3rd)
Ann Sobrato 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.

2019 Tech Trek campers helping at the Wildflower Run
Jaci Bolton
Charter School of Morgan Hill
Rachel Fox
Martin Murphy Middle School
Stella Gaudy
Martin Murphy Middle School
Susan Kirchhoff
Britton Middle School
Veronica Orozco
San Martin/Gwinn Environmental Science Academy
Samantha Pelts
Martin Murphy Middle School
Roma Shah
Martin Murphy Middle School
Claire Tomasco
Britton Middle School
Sofia Dombrowsky(Alt #1)
Charter School of Morgan Hill
Sofia Barreras (Alt #2)
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 2019.

Elizabeth Mandel
AAUW Morgan Hill branch member
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. With its completion this year, 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.

Louise Ly
UC Berkeley
Ph.D., Gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity, immigration, and family
Racialized Intimacy: Gendered Relations among Intermarried Asian Americans and Whites
.
Provide “Re-Entry Scholarships” to local women reentering college after a gap in their education.
Kim Benjamin | San Jose State University | Communication Studies |
Rishelle Zertuche | Gavilan Community College | Nursing |
Provide “Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Profession Scholarships” to college students from Morgan Hill who are pursuing a degree in a healthcare profession.
Kaleasha Acevedo | Gavilan Community College | Nursing |
Marisol Cervantes | CSU Stanislaus | Nursing |
Izamary Ibanez | Gavilan Community College | Nursing |
Morgan Kissinger | CSU Monterey Bay | Marriage/Family Therapy |
Xuan-Uyen Nguyen | CSU Long Beach | Neonatal Nursing |
Provide supplemental Keeping In Touch (KIT) grants to previous scholarship recipients to support them as they continue in their field of study.
Jordyne Atkins | West Valley Community College | Administrative Justice |
Anita Alvarez | CSU Monterey Bay | Psychology |
Lindsay Baker | Gavilan Community College | Allied Health |
Ariana Berumen | UC Berkeley | Sociology |
Lyssa Fuentes | CSU Monterey Bay | Pre-Law |
Raya Kavosh | UC San Diego | Data and Cognitive Science |
Shelby McDonald | California Baptist University | Psychology |
Shannon Mortela | CSU Monterey Bay | Sociology |
Arabella Williams | Cabrillo Collegy | Psychology |
Lifen Shi | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | Biomedical Engineering |
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. Funding includes travel expenses plus conference registration.
![]() |
Janet Orozco | Occidental College | Critical Theory & Social Justice |
Provide funding and mentorship for local teens to host an annual, all-day Future Women Leaders Conference, open to local middle and high school students.

2019 Margie Snively Future Women Leaders Conference
Provide Community Action Grants to local non-profit organizations for projects whose goals are consistent with AAUW’s mission.
Community Solutions | Creative Powerful Women art therapy program for women who are victims of domestic violence |
Learning and Loving Education Center | Textbooks for ESL students |
Discovery Counseling Center | Bold Journey (youth mentoring) for MHUSD elementary school students |
BookSmart Community Advantage | Stop the Summer Slump program, providing books to Title I students at local elementary schools |
South Valley Science and Engineering Fair | |
Future Women Leaders Conference | |
San Martin Gwinn School | Uniforms and referees for middle school athletics |
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. Our first place winner also went on to place second in the state contest.

2019 Speech Trek winners. L-R: Sabrina Bohnsack, Diya Khandra, Sofia Ruster
Sofia Rustor (1st) | Oakwood School |
Diya Khandra (2nd) | Ann Sobrato High School |
Sabrina Bohnsack (3rd) | Ann Sobrato 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.

2019 Tech Trek campers helping at the Wildflower Run
Jaci Bolton | Charter School of Morgan Hill |
Rachel Fox | Martin Murphy Middle School |
Stella Gaudy | Martin Murphy Middle School |
Susan Kirchhoff | Britton Middle School |
Veronica Orozco | San Martin/Gwinn Environmental Science Academy |
Samantha Pelts | Martin Murphy Middle School |
Roma Shah | Martin Murphy Middle School |
Claire Tomasco | Britton Middle School |
Sofia Dombrowsky(Alt #1) | Charter School of Morgan Hill |
Sofia Barreras (Alt #2) | 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 2019.
![]() |
Elizabeth Mandel | AAUW Morgan Hill branch member |
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. With its completion this year, 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.
![]() |
Louise Ly | UC Berkeley | Ph.D., Gender/sexuality, race/ethnicity, immigration, and family |
Racialized Intimacy: Gendered Relations among Intermarried Asian Americans and Whites |
.