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 THE 2025 RAHMAN ALIM STRUM RECIPIENTS
1st Place Scholar - Kaden Hasty
The path toward becoming a Juris Doctor may be challenging, but pushing me forward is a vision for my future, a passion for learning, and a desire to advocate for others. Ultimately, I aspire to become a liaison who bridges the communication gap between law and community while mentoring youth and providing low-cost services to those in need.
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I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Westlake High School with a 4.10 GPA and 48 hours of dual enrollment college credit from LSUE and Sowela. While in high school, my days were a vibrant blend of academic pursuits and athletic endeavors. As I sprinted across the field, raced into educational opportunities, and crossed over into the world of literature, I enjoyed the dynamic atmosphere of various clubs, organizations, and team sports (FBLA, FFA, Student Council, BETA, Westlake Mayor’s Student Advisory Committee, football, basketball, baseball, and track). I also cultivated a love for theater where I embraced the transformative power of storytelling. My commitment to hard work resonated in everything I did, and I actively engaged in community service, believing in the importance of giving back. On the Disaster Recovery Team, I learned the value of being there for others even though we were displaced as well. Each week, I balanced my studies and sports with a part-time job at Westlake Physical Therapy, where I gained invaluable insights into the healthcare field, sports medicine, and patient care. These experiences have shaped my belief in the power of service and leadership.
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I am very thankful for the Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship which will be helpful in reaching my goal of becoming a Juris Doctor by granting me the opportunity to immerse myself in my studies at the university without distractions regarding my financial status.
I would like to thank the Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship Foundation for believing in me. My educational pursuits are possible because of your generous donation. Thank you for supporting me as I reach toward my fullest personal and professional potential.
The journey ahead is filled with promise. I am eager to explore every opportunity while continuing to grow as a leader and contributing to the well-being of others.
2nd Place Scholar - Jacques King
The Spirit and Gift of Service
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The greatest quality of a leader is the ability to serve. I strongly believe that to become a great leader you must first become a great servant. Volunteerism is important to me, for so many reasons, one being strengthening the community. I have served with the nonprofit organization, Save Our Youth Savannah (SOYS) since about 2021. It is an organization that is dedicated to serving low income families experiencing homelessness and/or poverty. It it one of my greatest accomplishments, as I love to serve. I have volunteered over 100 hours of my time, offered support during events, donated goods to families in need, and showed up to offer my time and physical strength as needed. It promoted my personal growth, fueled my desire to give back and gave me purpose. I led and served with love in hopes of bettering and supporting my community.
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I did that while balancing a busy schedule at school. I graduated in the Top 10.5% of my class while playing varsity football and baseball, and being a respected role model in my school. I also earned credits from Georgia Southern University via dual enrollment.
I plan to use my degree to build a career in real estate development and investing. My service with SOYS has helped shape my career path. Because of my service with SOYS, I have made a conscious decision to tailor my studies to learn and master business practices. This will help in my real estate quest to implement innovative strategies to produce quality affordable housing. It is my desire to return to my community and be a part of the solution to help prevent the displacement of people who have called Effingham County home for most of their lives. I will use my educational experience and invest to contribute to my community through ventures that effectively address the crisis of lack of affordable housing.
My passion and love for people and humanity will be evident in every project that I touch. I will utilize my gifts and talents to contribute to my community through ventures that effectively addressed the crisis of lack of affordable housing putting people before profit. It is my hope that my business model for investing in and creating affordable housing in my community would have become a blueprint to follow and a testament of my passion to pour back into my community in an intentional and meaningful way.
I am thankful for the Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship Committee for this opportunity. I would like to extend my gratitude to you for your generosity in creating and funding this scholarship. It will definitely bless me and my family. Thank you for helping me get closer to my goal of a college degree with zero debt. I will continue to pay this forward through investing in my community through demonstrable action and other intangible ways.
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3rd Place Scholar - JaKari Brown
My name is Jakari Brown, and I’m a junior majoring in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Pre-Veterinary Medicine at Southern University and A&M College. I’m passionate about animal health, sustainability, and uplifting communities through agriculture and related fields. My ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian who not only provides expert care to various species—but also use my platform to inspire the next generation and champion diversity, equity, and access within veterinary medicine.
As a young African American woman, I know firsthand how rare it is to see someone who looks like me in veterinary spaces. That reality pushes me to be the change. I want to be a role model for underrepresented youth, especially those who have aspirations in my field but question if they’re possible. I want them to look at my journey and feel seen, inspired, and empowered.
One of my long-term goals is to own a farm that hosts outreach programs for students from underserved communities—creating a space where they can learn, heal, and find purpose through hands-on exposure and mentorship. This dream is about more than animals—it’s about showing the next generation that greatness lives within them.
I’m deeply grateful to the Rahman Alim Strum Scholarship Inc. for supporting students like me in turning passion into purpose. With your support, I will not only pursue my goals—I will open doors for others to walk through, too.