2021 Dowdy Scholars

Scholars receive a four-year renewable award that covers tuition and related fees, housing and meals for up to four years. This year’s scholars are listed below in alphabetical order:

• Reem Ali, daughter of Mohamedosman Hamad and Bahja Kheir, is from Greensboro, North Carolina, and a graduate of the STEM Early College at A&T. She is studying bioengineering with the goal of improving the lives of those with diabetes and finding a cure for or creating a device that eliminates the problems caused by diabetes.
• William Baly, son of Dr. William and Erica Baly, is from Goose Creek, South Carolina, and a graduate of Oceanside Collegiate Academy. He is studying psychology with plans to attend medical school, then make an impact on the world by bringing diversity to the medical field as an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician.
• Baisha Bignall, daughter of Wesley and Nichole Bignall, is from Kernersville, North Carolina, and a graduate of East Forsyth High School. She is studying finance with intentions of becoming a Certified Financial Planner, serving her community by helping individuals and organizations manage money, and building generational wealth within the Black community, beginning with historically Black college and university students.
• Sydnee Brothers, daughter of West and Heather Brothers, is from Marietta, Georgia, and a graduate of Mount Paran Christian School. She is studying kinesiology with plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in physical therapy.
• Michael Burgess, son of Michael and Nicole Burgess, is from Crofton, Maryland, and a graduate of South River High School. He is studying bioengineering with the career goal to attain his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and design and develop advanced medical technology to help sustain life.
• Amaya Connor, daughter of Rameel Connor and Julia Burke, is from Austin, Texas, and a graduate of St. Margaret’s School. She is studying healthcare services with plans to earn her master’s degree in healthcare administration and believes minority communities must have healthy relationships with healthcare providers in order to address health disparities and the social determinants of health.
• Khelsei Dorsett-Wilson, daughter of Byron Wilson and Keinya Dorsett, is from Snellville, Georgia, and a graduate of The Wilson Academy. She is studying Liberal Studies (Pre-Law) to pursue a career in public health relations, effecting real change for communities of color and being a dedicated advocate and researcher in the public health field to educate her community about issues and provide solutions for improving lives.
• Kyla Holton, daughter of Curtis and Erica Holton, is from Garner, North Carolina, and a graduate of Magnet High School. She is studying sociology and plans to work within the juvenile justice system to have a direct impact on access to resources and support within communities of color.
• Nolan Johnson, son of Duane and Cynthia Johnson, is from Windsor Mill, Maryland, and a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He is studying biology, with plans to attend medical school and become a physician who works to decrease health disparities within underserved communities.
• Jamir Jones-Gatling, son of Dion and Tiffany Gatling, is from Kinston, North Carolina, and a graduate of North Lenior High School. He is studying chemical engineering with the career goal to make an effective environmental impact and a safer world using his skills as a chemical engineer.
• Jaylen Lee, son of Mitchell and Ladeitra Lee, is from Round Rock, Texas, and a graduate of Rock High School of Science. He is studying management information systems to become a leader in business and technology with a lifestyle of travel, growth and inspiration to others.
• Emily Mills, daughter of Tanisha Byron, is from Brooklyn, New York, and a graduate of Rocky River High School. She is studying biology to become an obstetrician-gynecologist and start her own successful practice with plans to study and help determine both the factors that contribute to the high mortality rates of African American women during childbirth and the causes of the disproportional mortality rates so they can be eliminated.
• Peyton Onyeberechi, daughter of Sarah Banner, is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and a graduate of Mallard Creek High School. She is studying biology, hoping to pursue a thriving medical career and open her own medial practice, possibly specializing in dermatology, with the goal of providing free services to those in need in the U.S. or other countries that lack the necessary infrastructure to provide adequate healthcare.
• Ashara Perry, daughter of Shaun and Kimberly Perry, is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a graduate of Nova High School. She is studying psychology, with plans to become a forensic psychologist to mentor teens who suffer from mental illnesses out of the criminal justice system and into empowered adults.
• Madison Petersen, daughter of Solomon and Yolanda Morton, is from Greer, South Carolina, and a graduate of Legacy Early College High School. She is studying animal sciences with plans to become a veterinarian and ultimately own a private veterinary practice.
• Kylie Rice, daughter of Brian and Tevi Rice, is from Roswell, Georgia, and a graduate of Roswell High School. She is studying political science, with plans to earn a Juris Doctor and become a civil rights attorney in order to reduce homelessness, diminish the gender pay gap and promote civil equality.
• Breyana Robinson, daughter of Bryan and Nicole Robinson, is from Garland, Texas, and a graduate of Lakeview Centennial High School. She is studying laboratory animal science with plans to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine specializing in laboratory animal research.
• Autumn Smith, daughter of Stanley and Rashida Smith, is from Waldorf, Maryland, and a graduate of North Point High School. She is studying computer engineering, with plans to obtain a career and leadership position in computer engineering, with a strong interest in understanding computer functions and algorithms to solve technological problems and develop user-friendly software and a desire to become a mentor for minority girls interested in STEM careers and activities.
• Winston Wardlaw, son of Michal and Lillian Wardlaw, is from Washington, D.C., and a graduate of District of Columbia International School. He is studying food and nutritional science (human nutrition), with plans to pursue a career that allows him to combine his interest in holistic medicine with computer science so that he can help people facing health adversities.
• Charles-Anthony Woodfork, son of Anthony and Chasandra Woodfork, is from San Francisco and a graduate of Salesian College Preparatory. He is studying food and nutritional science (human nutrition) and hopes to work in community development, specifically in the governmental or nonprofit sectors, to provide health education and services to marginalized communities and bridge the racially and economically disproportionate health gap that goes unchecked in today’s American society.