Meet the Scholars | 2021

Joana’s family is originally from Liberia. She and her family came to the United States as refugees and settled in Lynn, MA. With all that she has been through, Joana remains diligent and determined, as she does not allow past experiences to stop her from excelling in life. She has extensive volunteer experience having served in hospitals and assisted living centers. Joana is determined to help her family have a better tomorrow. Her compassion, and aspiration to change the lives of others one day are the reasons behind her intended major in Nursing.

Daem was born in Haiti and moved to the United States at the age of six. While learning a new language and culture, she struggled to adapt to her new home. Daem had to take on an immense amount of responsibility living in a low-income home as the eldest of six children. She was very involved in student government and served as Vice President in her sophomore year. Daem also has a passion for music. Throughout her high school career she became very involved in vocal performance and was accepted into Handel and Haydn Society’s Young Woman’s Chorus, a high selective choir for advanced singers. She is a talented leader who over the years grew into a fearless one. Her perseverance and motivation has led her to conquer all obstacles that have stood in her way. Her intended major is Biochemistry.

Malachi was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Living in a low-income single parent household with four brothers influenced his desire to create change for his family and others living in urban communities. Through the Department of Youth Engagement & Employment for the City of Boston Malachi learned more about the issues specifically impacting minority youth, he became a vocal champion for reform. His passion caught the eyes of several Boston leaders, and he was invited to give the keynote address for Boston’s first ever My Brother’s Keeper Summit. Malachi’s understanding of such issues led him to partake in a roundtable discussion with President Barack Obama in New York, appear on CNN, and participate on a youth panel at the White House. Malachi is now pursuing a major in Political Science in hopes of continuing to be a voice for the voiceless.

Quadray is originally from Charleston, South Carolina where he was brought up with his two older sisters by his single mother and a host of supportive family members. He graduated from West Ashley High School where he used his opportunistic drive to seek out ways to understand his place in the world. Quadray served as the team captain of his high school cross country team while balancing leadership roles in the National Honor Society, INTERACT club, peer tutoring and teacher cadet. His passion to pursue a career in the medical field was sparked when he became a member of the West Ashley High Sports Medicine team as a student athletic trainer for over three years. Quadray was fortunate enough to spend 5-weeks in Greece through a summer cultural immersion program which changed his life and broadened his perspectives.

Fatima was born in Mexico and moved to California at the age of nine. Growing up in a low-income family inspired her to pursue an education to be able to provide for herself as well as for her family. During her senior year Fatima became involved in the IDEAS Club, where she conducted presentations and provided information to high school students in order to inform them of job and/or scholarship opportunities available for the undocumented community. She was also a member of the college readiness program, AVID which helped her develop her confidence and knowledge in the education system. Fatima also volunteered with special education students through an organization called Teen Connection. Her close connection with her younger autistic brother developed her passion for helping special education students not just in high school but as a possible career. Fatima will now be majoring in Biology with the hopes of impacting and influencing young children.

Edgar was born in Amsterdam, NY. His family hails from Puerto Rico. He was President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, co-president of the Senior Class, Captain of the Track and Field team, member of the Cross Country team, the Marching Band, and the beatboxer for the local "A cappella" group named "Amstertones". A particular program that brought him to where he is today is called the Smart Scholars Program. Through this, Edgar earned 37 college credits while still attending high school. Living in a low-income and dangerous neighborhood, he always found comfort in remaining involved with school-related activities to keep him on track. Along with the Torch Scholarship, Edgar is a Gates Scholar. A big motivation for Edgar is his desire to assist his family financially in the future.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Isiah attended North Kansas City High School through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma track. Never allowing his unconventional upbringing to hold him back, Isiah was very active throughout high school. He managed his time between his position as student body vice president, participating and leading debate, and being a member of both the schools theater association and tennis team. Outside of school Isiah spoke for Parents and Their Children, an organization focused on helping reconnect children with their incarcerated parents. His nominator believed that “Isiah knows what it is like to go without; he knows what is like to be angry; he knows what it is like to feel abandoned. Yet, Isiah remains hopeful and positive about his future. I am confident he will meet his goals and become an advocate for others who have to live without enough.”

Chantel, from Haverhill, Massachusetts, attended Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School. Growing up, everything around her was constantly changing. The one constant in her life has always been her sister. Chantel credits her sister’s selflessness and unconditional love for giving her the strength to pursue something better. Once Chantel began to define who she wanted to be, education was the clear driver to get her there. Her Torch nominator writes “Leadership requires courage - the courage to pursue your own goals, to make your own choices, to choose your own path, to trust your own judgment. I have never met a more courageous and impressive young person than this one. Against all odds, she has put herself on a path toward success. Her achievements and pursuit of a successful life come strictly from a Herculean inner strength that point to a limitless future. Chantel’s ability to achieve will be limited only by her own imagination.”

Richard is an optimistic young man from Houston, TX, who seeks a new path different from the one his parents started with. From the streets of Houston to the streets of Boston, Richard now intends to lend a hand to the Boston community by creating opportunities for young high school students. Throughout high school, the JROTC and Emerge program developed his ability to learn to grow as a disciplined and well-mannered young adult. As a first-generation student, he not only wishes to succeed, he wants to become the next aspiring engineer to work towards creating well efficient machines to be operated in local low resourced communities in the country.

Lauren, though coming from a difficult upbringing, continues to persevere and accomplish her dreams. She is passionate about women's rights, helping others, and making the world a better place. Lauren is a lifelong learner who constantly challenges herself to learn as much as she can about the world around her. She gained leadership experience in high school through serving as her senior class vice president, Captain of math team, and president of kennel club. Lauren hopes to excel academically within her major in order to become a good role model for her two sisters. Lauren is pursuing a major in human services with a concentration in social change and policy.

Cameron was born and raised in Houston Texas. He attended Furr High School, and Houston Community College. He served as the band president for all four years of high school. Cameron played the tuba for seven years. Additionally, Cameron was highly involved with the college readiness program, EMERGE. Through his work as an ambassador for the program, he was able to assist with the recruiting of sophomore students as well as enhance his public speaking skills. He is very committed to his work, academics, friends, and his passion to learn new material. He is confident that his drive and dedication will guide him through his journey at Northeastern.

Binta was born in Boston, MA and she was raised in both Guinea, Africa and here in the states. Throughout her middle and high school career, Binta dedicated a majority of her high school career to volunteering and working with middle school girls, and volunteering at her school's COACh Program (Creating Opportunity for Autistic Children.) Binta has worked as a middle school tutor at Girls Incorporated of Lynn, assisting young girls through the challenges of academics. Binta is a Behavioral Neuroscience major on a pre-Med track. She hopes to one day become a psychiatrist, with a specialty in children with mental disabilities.