Four Dallas Independent School District high school seniors have been named, by Mary Kay Inc. and the Junior League of Dallas (JLD), recipients of the third annual Women LEAD (Learn/Excel/Achieve Dream) Scholarship Program. The women’s organizations partnered to award $25,000 in scholarships to the female students last month.
The 10 finalists from Emmett J. Conrad High School, South Oak Cliff High School, and Thomas Jefferson High School prepared a short speech based on the founding principles of Mary Kay Ash and the essay topic, “How do you make a difference in your community and what drives you to give back?” A panel of judges selected four winners based on their scholarship application, community involvement, academic record and speech presentation.
First-place winner, Gianni Alexander, a senior at South Oak Cliff, will receive a one-time $10,000 scholarship. Homeless as a child, Alexander stressed that “education is freedom” and that through her acts of community service, she hopes to inspire Dallas youth. Following graduation, Alexander plans to study advertising in college.
Second-place winner Renee Moreno, third-place winner Yoga Karki and fourth-place winner Anjana Ghaley, will each receive a one-time $5,000 scholarship.
Moreno, a senior at Thomas Jefferson, plans to pursue a career that allows her to give back to her community. Karki, a senior at Conrad High School, plans to attend medical school in hopes of becoming a doctor. Ghaley, also a Conrad senior, plans to pursue a career in nursing and has dreams of educating rural communities in disease prevention.
The scholarship program, established in 2013, is inspired by company founder, Mary Kay Ash, who started the global beauty company more than 50 years.
“In a longstanding partnership with the Junior League of Dallas, an outstanding organization with a legacy of empowering women throughout the city, we are thrilled to celebrate these young women as they develop into the future leaders of our community,” said Crayton Webb, vice president of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility for Mary Kay.
