1st Place Winner
My name is Michael Cleveland, a 2017 honor graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Ga. I am a devoted child of God. I attend Walker Tabernacle Baptist Church where I serve God as a Junior Deacon and by being an active member in the music and educational ministries of my church. During my high school experience, I was heavily involved in the Early College program where I attended Atlanta Metropolitan State College and graduated with college credit, as well as The National Beta Club, The Tri-M Music Honor Society, The Marching 100 Band, and Yearbook. Since childhood, watching my mother work as a paramedic I have had the desire to one-day work in the medical field. I devoted 146 hours to volunteering in the E.R. at Grady Health Systems the summer of 2016 which inspired me to want to become an E.R. Physician. I chose to attend Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans where I will major Biology Pre-Med with a Chemistry minor. After I obtain my bachelor’s I will either attend Morehouse School of Medicine or Meharry Medical College for medical school. . I am extremely grateful for this opportunity which will help contribute to my success. Thank you.
1st Place Winner
My name is Michael Cleveland, a 2017 honor graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Ga. I am a devoted child of God. I attend Walker Tabernacle Baptist Church where I serve God as a Junior Deacon and by being an active member in the music and educational ministries of my church. During my high school experience, I was heavily involved in the Early College program where I attended Atlanta Metropolitan State College and graduated with college credit, as well as The National Beta Club, The Tri-M Music Honor Society, The Marching 100 Band, and Yearbook. Since childhood, watching my mother work as a paramedic I have had the desire to one-day work in the medical field. I devoted 146 hours to volunteering in the E.R. at Grady Health Systems the summer of 2016 which inspired me to want to become an E.R. Physician. I chose to attend Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans where I will major Biology Pre-Med with a Chemistry minor. After I obtain my bachelor’s I will either attend Morehouse School of Medicine or Meharry Medical College for medical school. . I am extremely grateful for this opportunity which will help contribute to my success. Thank you.
2nd Place Winner
My name is Eboni Diamond Washington, a native of the South Bronx, New York currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand where I own a vegan soul food pop up shop called Vegan Traphouse. Our sole mission is to promote veganism while raising awareness about Black American culture through food and education. I hold my Bachelors of Arts in Radio-TV-Film from the illustrious Howard University and am now currently enrolled at the University of New England obtaining my Master of Social of Work. While attending Howard, I volunteered with an organization called Lady Me where we mentored and tutored “at-risk” high school females. Since being in Thailand, I was given the opportunity to lead several English camps for Thai students focused on health and environmental conservation. This fall, I will begin my internship with Burmese refugees here in Thailand. My ultimate goal is to become an international social worker and work specifically with oppressed indigenous populations around the world. I believe in the saying "no one is free while others are still oppressed" and cultural competency plays a vital role in positive human interaction. With the help of the Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship, I will be able to continue my venture in helping individuals in various communities achieve better mental, physical, and emotional health. I will be forever grateful for this award.
Congratulations to our 2018 Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship Winners!!!
1st Place Winner
My name is John Drinkwater and I am from Macon, Georgia. I graduated from First Presbyterian Day School in 2018 where I was active in robotics, concert, jazz, marching bands and community service. I also participated in Theater and Dance. I played music for residents of an Alzheimer’s Care Facility. I was a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club. I piloted Environmental Science Robot Drone Research for a High School Stem Certificate Diploma. I have received the following awards while attending First Presbyterian Day School: The National Youth Leadership Forum in 2016, National Academy of Future Scientist and Technologists Award of Excellence in 2016, First Presbyterian Day School award for the highest number of community service hours totaling over 700, and 2018 Honorable Mention Golden Eagle Award in Science.
I also enjoyed working as a summer counselor at Camp Vinson Valley for the past two years with 1000 campers from the ages of 6 to 13. I taught the children at camp to Kayak as the Kayak Manager. I served as a Lifeguard at the camp. As a mentor to the young kids at the camp I enjoyed playing games, sports and water activities, and just talking to them if they needed someone to talk to. This scholarship will allow me to pursue my education in Computer/Aerospace Engineering in the Honors Program at Auburn University. It will also enable me to use my education to enrich the lives of those around me in engineering. I would like to thank the committee for awarding me this scholarship.
2nd Place Winner
Adaya Nicole Jackson has been committed to service since the day she was born. Her years of volunteering first took place in her home town church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, where she would spend her Saturday’s organizing the food pantry and on mission trips with her mother. When she was not doing so, she was an active member of Girl Scout Troop 1368 where she would always offer a helping hand with the adult leaders and younger scouts.
While matriculating at Marietta High School she was a member/participant in clubs and organizations such as Sports Medicine, Thespian, Future Business Leaders of America, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Chamber Choir. She completed her studies with a 3.1 grade point average.
Now, Adaya Jackson is a rising sophomore, continuing her studies at the illustrious University of Alabama the Tuscaloosa, Alabama campus, where she is focused on receiving both her BS and Masters in Marketing with a minor in Public Relations in a five-year span. In addition to her major and minor, she is also specializing in International Business, taking the appropriate steps to becoming fluent in the Spanish language, while serving her newfound community through organizations such as Red Cross and the West Alabama Food Bank.
3rd Place Winner
Tyler King is a Civil Engineering student at Kennesaw State University that has a strong engineering mind and a heart for helping his community. He grew up with two brothers and two loving parents. His mother is a manager at a large bank and his father is entrepreneur who owns and operates a moving and delivery company.
Tyler loves to work with and mentor children which is why he spends time tutoring students. He is also one of the founders of Lithonia’s CHILD summer program as well as one of the instructors.
When Tyler is not working with children or working on his education, you can find him working on his creative arts. He is a singer and spoken word artist and he sings at his church with a young adult group called New Sound. He is a loving, intelligent, and well-rounded young man.