The recipients are Aisha Sharif Ali from Hoover High School, Arianna Sanchez from Monarch School and Florentine Ashukuriwe from Lincoln High School.
Ali immigrated with her family to the United States in 2015 from Kenya where she faced injustices and strict limitations of women s rights resulting in her inability to receive a quality education.
Upon first arriving in America, she struggled to adapt to American culture while dealing with the language barrier that prevented her from feeling fully accepted. Ali faced her challenges head on by asking questions in class, attending tutoring and reading classes, reading comics and other books and participating in class presentations.
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The three recipients of the Johnny Ritchey Breaking Barriers Scholarship will throw the ceremonial first pitch Friday evening before the San Diego Padres face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park.
The scholarship was created in 2020 and is awarded annually to a San Diego County high school senior from an underserved area that embodies the characteristics and qualities Ritchey displayed on and off the field, including the capacity to overcome adversity and break barriers academically, athletically or in the community.
Nominations for the scholarship were submitted online with nominees being asked to submit an essay between 1,000-1,500 words describing how they have encountered and overcome personal barriers based on their real-life experiences. Each recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship towards the continuation of their education.