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 2021 Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship Winner!
Armand Larry Elijah Young, the oldest of three boys, is a 17-year-old service-oriented 2021 High School graduate that has several years of progressively higher leadership experience, leads by example and positive influence, and engages in using his versatile knowledge and skills to
serve others. Possessing extensive Scouting and volunteer leadership experience, Armand graduated from Courtland High School in Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Through the years, Armand has been actively involved in various extracurricular activities, encompassing Scouting, sports, church, school, and community. Activities included Basketball, Track, Football, and Wrestling serving as Captain of both the Football and Wrestling Teams his
Senior year. As a Sophomore, he participated as a member of the Army ROTC Drill Team. In the community, Armand’s activities include volunteering with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders and the Autism Society of Northern Virginia. At the Thurman Brisben Center, Armand assists his family with food preparation and feeding the homeless, and displaced college students. Additionally, Armand assists the Elderly in his community with various tasks such as painting, yardwork, general household duties, and running errands. At church, Armand volunteered with several youth ministries, attended Sunday School, served with the Youth Missionary Auxiliary, led as both the Vice Chief and Chief of Youth Ushers, and assisted with Nursery and Children Church. He is a member of the Youth Auxiliary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Urban League. Armand lists one of his noteworthy achievement as having begun the Boy Scouts of America Scouting program in First grade as a Cub Scout and continuing through the Ranks attaining the
highest rank of Eagle Scout as a High School Sophomore, being inducted into the Order of the Arrow, which is the Honor Society of Scouting, and accepting lifetime membership into the National Eagle Scout Association in his Junior year. As a means of giving back for the
knowledge gained, and the many skills attained through participating in Scouting, in March 2020, Armand established a memorial scholarship in recognition of one of his former Scoutmasters. This scholarship is given yearly to assist one young man to begin his Scouting
journey as a Cub Scout. It is Armand’s desire that others will have the opportunity to participate
in some of the transformational experiences that helped to shape his life. Armand states, “In serving my community, I am inspired by a quote penned by Jim George, “Serving others prepares you to lead others.” I am grateful and blessed others reached out to me and now I stand on the threshold of starting college.”
Beginning with the Fall 2021 Semester, Armand will attend Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia with aspiration to major in Business Management with Exercise Science or Physical Therapy as a minor. While in
college, he plans to enter the Navy ROTC Program, with a career goal of becoming a pilot. Having been provisionally accepted into the program, Armand will attend Orientation in mid-August.