2019 Scholarship Recipients
Alex Black
Alex Black is a rising senior majoring in psychology with a minor in business administration at Morehouse College. This past year was challenging, but built character and faith. Alex was blessed to charter his own organization on campus called D.R.E.A.M. (Developing Resilient Entrepreneurs and Athletes through Mentorship) Network as both the Founder and President. The organization focuses on exposing youth to different career opportunities in sports through corporate sponsorship, empowerment, professional development, leadership, mentorship, and community service. In addition, Alex was granted the privilege to be a Residential Advisor (RA) in a freshman house on campus his Junior year. This allowed him to directly interact and mentor the incoming students by offering resources, giving advice, sharing his experiences and lessons, answering questions, etc. This summer, Alex interned as a Research Assistant for PARC Lab @ LMU. He assisted in their community- based participatory evaluations and action research related to race, culture, social class and their relevance to complex social issues. This year, he plans on remaining a mentor for youth and underclass students while they navigate through their first years in college and eventually expand and hand down the organization. He is proud to say that he now has the opportunity to officially become a Morehouse Man in May 2020!
Carlos Otano
Carlos Otano was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is a Senior at the Buckley School where he was selected to represent the school, as a delegate at the National Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and was one of a very select few Buckley students invited to the World renowned Iowa University Writing Workshop. He is an awesome artist and has had his work featured in numerous school publications, a local art gallery and has received several National Scholastic Art Awards. He is also a prior NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medalist. He has been a member of his church choir and an acolyte for the last 5 years. He volunteers his time and talents at A Place Called Home, APCH as a major solicitor and photographer during their annual Cinderella /Prince Charming Project. His volunteerism with APCH and additional community service with the Omega Psi Phi Youth Leadership program earned him a Presidential Community Service Award and pin from President Obama.
Carlos has played soccer for 10 years with The American Youth Soccer Organization, his school JV Soccer Team and on the Hollywood Club Soccer Team. He participates on his School Tennis Team, Swim Team, Club Track & Field, HS Cross Country and in 2014, he won "Rookie of the Year" for his High School's Varsity Cross Country team. Carlos has played the piano for the last 16 years and both the alto and tenor Saxophone for 5years. He has sung with his church choir, performed in a few High School musicals and a few community theatre performances. He has performed in a Jazz band alongside Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder and Bill Clinton. Additionally, during the summer between his Freshman and Sophomore years, he turned a piece of his artwork into T-shirts, which he then sold to finance his travel with the People to People organization to Italy and Greece.
Carlos now attends Morehouse College and is one of the accompanists for the Morehouse College Glee Club. He studies music with an emphasis in composition.
Joseph Ramirez
Joseph Ramirez is currently a freshman at Morehouse College, majoring in Business Administration, concentration in Finance, from Lancaster, CA. He plans to graduate within four years and use his degree to open his own real estate firm where he will begin investing in properties in an effort to economically expand the black economy.
Joshua Tate-Roberts
My name is Joshua Tate-Roberts and I was proudly admitted to Morehouse College; I am part of the class of 2023. my major is biology, I plan to go to medical school and pursue a career in medicine; more specifically to become a General/ Cardiovascular Surgeon. My hobbies are playing basketball, tennis, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and spending time with family. I also like helping out in my community, and people in need. I was taught to help other people that are less fortunate than you and to treat others as you want to be treated.
Kenneth Brown, II
Kenneth Brown, II is currently a rising sophomore at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia aftergraduating from the prestigious Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) at Hamilton High Schoolin Los Angeles where he was a member of the award‐winning jazz band and wind ensembles. He iscurrently First‐Chair and Principal Trumpet of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA)and in 2016 and 2017 was selected as a “Grammy Emerging Artist” by The Recording Foundation. Eventhough he was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2, he was accepted to several 4‐year colleges anduniversities after graduating including the Berklee School of Music and Morehouse College. After visitingboth campuses, he decided to join the elite Men of Morehouse and play with The House of Funk!!
During his freshman year in college, Kenneth supported the Morehouse Band by playing trumpet insome of the most prestigious athletic venues in the country including: Soldier Field in Chicago, MercedesBenz Stadium and State Farm Arena to name a few. In January, he was selected to appear in a new Nikeadvertisement as designer Heron Preston unveiled his first apparel collection. You can see – and hear –him playing here: https://youtu.be/NhZT0gXwN1w.
Since 2010, Kenneth has played alongside some of the world’s best musicians and entertainers includingMC Hammer, Mary Wilson, Keith David, Obba Babatundé, Donald Dean, Sr., Donn Bynum, KennethCrouch, Ryan Cross, Lyndon Rochelle, and members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He hasperformed at Staples Center, The Grammy Museum, LA Live’s Club Nokia (Novo by Microsoft),Mercedes‐Benz Stadium, LA Convention Center Auto Show Stage as well as Walt Disney Concert Hall,Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Wilshire Ebell Theater, and Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles.
This past summer, Kenneth was featured in a commercial promoting the 50th Anniversary of the SpecialOlympics directed by Cannes Film Festival Young Director Award Nominee, Anderson Wright. You canview the commercial here: Special Olympics: “Earned It” or https://vimeo.com/168471847
Kenneth Brown, II ’22, is a Music Performance major at Morehouse with aspirations of playing basketball for the Maroon Tigers.
You can find Kenneth’s full portfolio at www.KennethBrownMusic.com
Kyrie Blackman
Kyrie Blackman is a rising senior native of Los Angeles. He transferred to Morehouse after earning his Associates in Science degree in Administration of Justice at Cerritos College. After attending and HBCU tour Kyrie fell in love with Morehouse and made it an obligation to get accepted.
This summer he was awarded the opportunity to work alongside the education department at the Petersen Automotive Museum through the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship program. Kyrie has grown in many ways since being a student at Morehouse and is thankful for the school for providing a safe space to grow.
Nathanael Sheldon
On May 5, 1998 in Los Angeles, California a future doctor emerges into this world. Learning tocount and knowing his ABC’s his second birthday let everyone around know that he was destined to be successful in his future endeavors. Infact, at the age of two he told members of his church and his family that he was a genius. I am that future doctor and my name is Nathanael Sheldon Williams.
At a very early age (about 5 years old), I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I would use everyopportunity I had to play computer games that allowed me to perform surgeries on patients or I
would watch every medically affiliated shows I would watch (ER, Dougie Houser and manyothers). I did not know what are of medicine I wanted to work. During the second grade I read a book titled, “Gifted Hands. This was the autobiography of Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Carson, a worldrenowned neuro-sergeon who had overcame many obstacles before finding his career path. Hisstory inspired me and it was then, I made the decision to become a neurologist.
As I got older and became a bit rebellious, my mother brought me two books to read (that was her punishment for everything). The books were titled, “The Pact” and the other, “ The Bond”. Both books were about three inner city black boys who grew up in rough neighborhoods andwere from single parent or broken homes. They joined a pact and formed a bond that they would stick together and encouraged each other to stay in school and to make it to a positive place where no one in their families have gone. They all became doctors despite all theadversities that they came upon.
As part of my quest to becoming a doctor I joined the Hippocratic Circle. This is a group that works with children who want to become doctors. Children would get to volunteer at hospitals under the supervision of doctors and other team members. During high school, I was chosen to fly to Washington,DC with the Future Doctors of America Organization. This organization was for high school students across America with GPAs of 4.0 or above who wanted to become doctors. We had seminars and meet with doctors, learn all about their field of interest and in some cases get to interview some of their patients. It was a rewarding learning experience and a great opportunity to meet a few students who have the same desires as I do.
Today I am still working on my future as a doctor at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a senior and will be graduating in May of 2020 with a degree in Biology. I am looking forward to starting the next phase of my journey after graduation.
Nolan Smith-Robinson
Ryan Carr
My name is Ryan Carr and I am an incoming freshman. I attend the Illustrious Morehouse College. I am a Business Major from Los Angeles, California. I plan to continue my education and obtain a Masters Degree in Business Administration where I want to work in airport development.
William-Alexander Hawkins
William-Alexander Hawkins was born in Los Angeles, California to Amber Mike & James Hawkins. William-Alexander, also known as Alex, is a graduate of Verbum Dei High School and a currently a freshman at Morehouse College. Self-taught in computer coding, he plans to attend college as a biomedical, robotics or civil engineering student. Alex is deeply passionate about art, drawing, music and travel. During high school, he played football for two years, volunteered for various charitable causes and in 2018, had the pleasure of being interviewed for the NBC Nightly News about his trip to China.
Armed with a new love of international travel and culture, Alex hopes to spend time abroad while in college as an exchange student. Alex is supported by a phenomenal village filled with family and friends who are committed to encouraging him along his journey to adulthood.