After selecting the recipients of our 2022 Contra Costa NOW university scholarships, we decided to check back with our first 2 winners of the 2021 scholarships. We are pleased to acknowledge that both continue to succeed in their academic initiatives, contribute positively to their respective communities, and progress notably in the pursuit of their career goals.
Sia´h Fanta Jimissa
Sia´h just finished her second year at UC Berkeley and is currently finishing up her application for the Public Health major. Sia´h´s extracurricular activities include serviing as the K-12 Recruitment Coordinator for the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, a student organization that hosts programs to encourage Black students to pursue and complete college. She was able to create and host programs including a scholarship and a shadow day for Black high school students. This summer, she is participating in the UCSF Children’s Hospital’s Student Summer Research Program, an especially valuable opportunity for a Public Health major.
Thyra Anastashia Cobbs
Thyra is currently double majoring in African American studies and History, and minoring in African studies at UCLA. She is in the Honors program, the Academic Achievement Program (AAP), and the Bruin Scholars program for foster youth/students who have been in guardianship. She has also been accepted for the McNair Research Scholars program and is currently researching the effects of Afrocentric psychological interventions on UCLA’s Black population. Next spring quarter, Thyra will be teaching a student-led seminar on Afrocentric Black Psychology through the Honors Program. She is also engaging in student activism and leadership, having been appointed as the Transfer Coordinator for the African Student Union and will soon be applying to serve as the Campus Director of Mental Health in UCLA’s student government.
