BUGS is thrilled to announce the winners of the Alumni College Scholarship, which provides members of the founding class with financial support in the transition to college. Congratulations to Sunei Clarke, who will receive $1,500, and runner-up Jahsenda Aderibigbe. We applaud the contribution and achievements of all of the 18 students who submitted applications. Please see excerpts from Sunei and Jahsenda’s applications below.
The scholarship was launched by the BUGS community to provide financial assistance to a student who embodies our CARES values and has taken the seeds sown at BUGS to continue to explore and fight for a sustainable future. This first-time scholarship program was open to all members of the founding BUGS graduating 8th grade class of 2016 who are enrolling at college in the fall of 2020. Our many thanks to board member Jamal Deek for leading the scholarship program and to the board of trustees for funding the scholarships.
“We are so proud of our founding class and thank you to all of the students who submitted applications for the scholarship program and to the teachers, board, and PTA who volunteered to be on the scholarship committee. All of these incredible students inspired us when they were in middle school and it means so much to us that the values and commitment to sustainability that they learned at BUGS stay central to who they are and what they want to achieve. I am so honored and grateful that we have the opportunity to support these thoughtful, caring, and compassionate BUGS alumni.” -- Susan Tenner, Executive Director, Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School.
Sunei Clarke (Simmons University)
“From my very first day as a BUGS student, I was pushed to be a part of projects and activities that were out of my comfort zone. Whether it was composting on the roof, singing about the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), going to the city recycling plant, or traveling to Sunset Park to try the sweetest Conchas. Today, although I do not find myself gardening, BUGS indirectly inexplicably encouraged me to explore new things in any way possible.”
Jahsenda Aderibigbe (Montclair State University)
“The BUGS CARES values are extremely relevant during these times. The two principles from the acronym CARES that stick out to me the most are community and awareness. Community is very impactful. It is important to support and stick by one another. Without community, there is a feeling of isolation. With the uprising of racism in this country, having a sense of community is especially important because it breaks the trend of separation and the idea that one is better than the other. Additionally, awareness is also relevant right now because it is important for people to educate themselves about the root of institutional racism, and how we move forward. ...The value of speaking up, and having your voice heard will impact my future. As a filmmaker, my job is to express myself, and the stories of others. I definitely feel like the value that BUGS had on student voice/input has impacted me.”