91短视频 Health Sciences Senior Receives CSU Trustees Award
Jessica Mery
- September 5, 2014
Cal State East Bay senior Jessica Mery has been honored with a California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, a distinction bestowed annually on .
The awards are given to those students who demonstrate superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need. Those chosen "have overcome tremendous life challenges to pursue a college degree, and their personal stories are inspiring."
Mery overcame challenges that included homelessness and addiction. Today she is in the university honors program and maintains a 3.7 GPA (out of a possible 4.0). She is majoring in health sciences and minoring in political science, with emphases in community health and public policy. In addition, she volunteers as a community health outreach worker, providing harm-reduction services to hard-to-reach homeless individuals living in San Francisco and Oakland.
"I found a renewed sense of purpose in helping members of the community who face some of the harshest consequences of drug use," she said.
Mery, an Oakland resident, also spends time fundraising and attending conferences to promote the needs of the clients she serves. She plans to pursue a master's in public health and hopes to combine her education and life experiences to better serve marginalized communities.
Specifically, Mery was named , established in 2012 when CSU Foundation board member and Southwest Airlines Community Affairs and Grassroots Manager Lidia S. Martinez committed support from Southwest Airlines for a $6,000 scholarship for an outstanding first generation student.
These distinguished awards are funded by personal contributions from the CSU trustees, staff, friends of the university and endowments. The scholarship awards range from $6,000 to $12,000.