Youth Action Scholarship Fund

Youth Action’s Scholarship Fund in partnership with The Stafford Foundation is a scholarship fund named after late Youth Action ally Ann C. Phillips that recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding academic, leadership, service, and extracurricular achievements. Scholarships are given to students with demonstrated financial need, are continuing service in college, and are pursuing post-secondary school education.

Kayla Shuler- One of Five 2012 Scholarship Recipients

Kayla Shuler of Northwest Philadelphia is a graduate of the Creative and Performing Arts High School of Philadelphia and a freshman at Howard University in Washington, DC. At CAPA, Kayla was very involved in dance and performed at several holiday parades. She was a cheerleading coach for the Police Athletic League and a teaching assistant at the Brenda Lee Dance Company. At Howard, she is a member of the Bisonette Dance Ensemble and a member of L.E.A.D., an academic and leadership development program for high school students in DC. Currently she is majoring in supply chain management and after Howard Kayla plans to open several dance studios for children in Philadelphia.

Kayla writes “without scholarship patrons like you, there would be many students such as myself unable to pursue the career they’ve dreamed of. By awarding me Youth Action’s Ann C. Phillips Scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school, learning. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.”

Ricardo Brens- One of Five 2011 Scholarship Recipients

Ricardo Brens of Philadelphia graduated from Thomas Edison High School as his school’s Salutatorian and National Honor Society President. Ricardo arrived from the Dominican Republic two years ago and is the first in his family to attend college. Remarkably, as an English as a Second Language student he excelled in several of Edison’s Advance Placement courses. While volunteering in the community with several of his classmates, Ricardo worked with the Red Cross Club and helped raise $2,000 for Japan’s Tsunami Relief Efforts. He also helped raise $1,500 for the March of Dimes pregnancy and health organization. He is currently a freshman at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. After college, Ricardo plans to earn a master’s degree in Information Technology and pursue a career in this field.

Ricardo believes “being involved in the community can be one of the best experiences we may have in our lives and people who do it, can become a role model to lead others and make them join a community team.”