Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs
to the people who prepare for it today.

             —Malcom X

The Spirit of Isabel Kellum
 
The Scholarship Fund was established to honor and perpetuate the work of Isabel Kellum who devoted her life to the
education of young people. Isabel was the mother of six children.  Born in Louisiana, she spent her adult life as a resident
of Berkeley.  She inspired young people in many years of dedicated teaching at the St. Columba Parish School, and
service as Junior Daughter Counselor with the Ladies of Saint Peter Claver. 

In 1979, the year Isabel retired from teaching, the scholarship fund was created. Saint Columba Parish continued the
work after her death on January 2, 1988. 
 
Her granddaughter, Celeste Stanley, is a parishioner with two children of her own. Celeste remembers the fun, warm,
loving home her grandparents kept, inviting the parish priests in on Sunday afternoons. Her grandmother was a teacher
at home, quizzing Celeste on her grammar. Isabel enabled generations of Saint Columba students to achieve what they
did not dream was possible. 

The Committee deeply appreciates the efforts of our community to support the scholarship fund and the work to which Isabel Kellum devoted her life.

 

_______________________________________________________________

Scholarship Award Recipients 2020

Briana Bazile 
A third year at New York University – where has the time gone? Briana continues her studies as a Global Liberal Studies major. That interest began in a freshman course on Caribbean cultures and the effects of colonialism and tourism on island communities. Briana’s interest in social and environmental justice has grown over the past year to become global.

Briana took a job at a Chipotle chain in New York for walk around money, and the restaurant was next door to the New York  Rescue Mission. She noticed how much food went to waste, so after her shift she brought the leftover chips to the Mission. She also served meals at the Mission during the days. 

New York University offers courses in Los Angeles as part of its global outreach. We are as pleased as Briana’s parents that she can be closer to us.  

Tatjana Bevineau 
Tatjana is a new recipient this year but her college career is not new. She is entering her junior year at the University of San Francisco, majoring in biology with a minor in music. The next two years will be spent preparing for admission to medical school. Her desire to become a pediatrician came from joining her mother, an occupational therapist, when she worked with children.  

Tatjana is a member of Camp Kesem SF, a charitable group that supports children through and beyond a parent’s cancer. The group brought her through difficult years in high school and helped her not only bear with her struggles but excel. She is now a counselor at University of San Francisco sharing the gift of Camp Kesem that she received.  

Tatjana has found new ways to connect with the parish in the current public health emergency.  She watches the live-streamed masses with her family, and joins the Black Lives Matters protests in front of the church. She is always close to our hearts.   
 

If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down.
— Toni Morrison

Chidemma Ezeokoli
Our prayers are with Chidemma as she starts her sophomore year at California State University, East Bay, where she is pursuing pre-medical studies. We are glad to hear that she joined the Eclectic Pulse dance team on campus for a break from studies and a renewal of her passion for dance.  

Chidemma worked with Youth Employment Partnership this summer, leading a group of high school students in work for the City of Oakland. As part of that work, she mentored at-risk youth on how to make a success of a job interview. Chidemma also gave her students advice on starting early on college and future career decisions. She is confident that she can find the right studies and career that will nourish her desire to give back.    

Christian Feraria
Christian will be a senior, and the Scholarship Committee is pleased to have supported him through all four years of his college career. A semester abroad in Spain was cut short in March, and he managed the stress of fifteen hours travel home on short notice. We are glad to have him home safe. Christian can also attest to the difficulties of completing the semester online from a hotel room where he self-quarantined for two weeks. 

Christian has worked twenty hours a week during his entire college career, balancing work and studies. He does not regret the work hours at the Aztec Tennis Club in Berkeley because it gives him the opportunity to coach underprivileged youth. We wish Christian a successful and rewarding final year at Saint Mary’s College, with considerably less drama.  

The 2020 Scholarship Application can be downloaded here:  → 2020 Application

ISABEL KELLUM SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

ST. COLUMBA CATHOLIC CHURCH

  
Applicant Name   ________________________________________________________________________
(Please Print)
Home Address            _____________________________________________________________________

                                       _____________________________________________________________________

City/ State/ Zip Code _____________________________________________________________________
 
Home Phone    __________________________________________________

High School      __________________________________________________
 
Name of College of University you plan to attend in the fall –  are you a college freshman or transfer student?

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
What is your intended field of study?   _____________________________________________________________

What is your church ministry at Saint Columba? Please discuss.
 ____________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________

What community service are you involved in? Please discuss.
____________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________
 
In your biography, please let us know of any challenging life experiences you have faced in completing your education this far.  Information submitted with your application will be kept confidential. 

Your request for a scholarship WILL ONLY BE PROCESSED WHEN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION, COPY OF YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCE LETTER, YOUR BIOGRAPHY, TRANSCRIPTS, AND TWO (2) LETTERS OF REFERENCE HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. Your application must be received in the church office by June 30, 2020 to be considered for an award.  
 
Please contact the following Scholarship Committee members who will assist you with questions:
 
Marolyn Jackson   (510) 799-3845
Thomas Shaver     (510) 418-8965
Gloria Wheeler     (510) 236-6595
 
Return the completed application to:
 
St. Columba Catholic Church
6401 San Pablo Avenue
Oakland, CA 94608
Attention: Scholarship Application
 
Signature of Applicant: 

 ____________________________________

______________________________

IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY OBTAINING A TRANSCRIPT,

The 2020 Scholarship Application can be downloaded here:  → 2020 Application

St. Columba Church Scholarship Committee
Isabel Kellum Scholarship Guidelines
 

1.  Each applicant must be a member of St. Columba Church. 

2.  Initial applicants must be involved in at least one church activity or ministry, for example: The Youth Group, Knights and Ladies of Saint Peter Claver, Choir, Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Usher or Family Faith Formation Program. Returning applicants please provide proof of community service completed during the school year. 

3.  Priority will be given to graduating high school seniors accepted for undergraduate study at a four-year college / university or two-year community college. 

4.  Second priority will be given to returning applicants continuing undergraduate studies at a four-year college / university or two-year community college. A GPA of 2.0 is required for returning students.  Awards are now limited to undergraduate students and not to graduate students.   

5. Applicants will be funded for a maximum of four years at a four-year college / university and a maximum of two years at a community college. 

6. The expectations of the recipients are:  

 -  Participate in the Youth Group College Panel held during the Christmas holiday.

 -  Submit a completed application by the specified deadline which includes two letters of reference,
a biography (one page maximum), a letter of acceptance to a college / university and a copy of unofficial transcripts. 

Proof of fall registration is required before awards are distributed.

The Scholarship Guidelines can be downloaded here:  → Guidelines