Date: 10/01/2007

SJSU Alumni Association Awards Scholarships to 16 Students

Contact:
Marie McCann, Alumni Association, 408-924-1109
Pat Lopes Harris, Media Relations, 408-924-1748

SAN JOSE, Calif., -- Sixteen San José State University students -- including a San Francisco Zoo supervisor, Google Ambassador, business major who speaks four languages, award-winning filmmaker and family law attorney -- will be honored at the 2007 SJSU Alumni Association Scholarship Awards Ceremony slated for Tuesday, October 2, at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. The scholarships, ranging from $900 to $1,250 each, are among the most generous given by any alumni association in the California State University system.

"We are proud to honor an exceptional class of scholarship recipients this year," said Paul W. Richardson, interim executive director of the SJSU Alumni Association. "Recognizing these outstanding students continues a long history for the Alumni Association, and we are pleased to support their academic goals through this award program."

Fourteen students selected by the deans of their respective colleges will receive $1,250 each. Two more students -- recipients of the $1,250 Hoover-Langdon Scholarship and the $900 Katherine Peterson Alumni Association Scholarship -- were selected by the Financial Aid Office based on financial need, academic achievement and community service. Since 1975, the Alumni Association has provided scholarships to students who excel in their academic studies while bettering their communities through volunteer work.

Deans' Scholars

San José resident Priscilla Almada, an undergraduate double majoring in psychology and anthropology. A Dean's Scholar, Almada is a teaching assistant in SJSU's Department of Psychology. A member of Psi Chi National Honor Society, she is also a student affiliate of the American Psychological Association. Previously she received an ASPIRE academic scholarship and an International House resident scholarship.

Sunnyvale resident Richard Alvarado, an undergraduate double majoring in cultural anthropology and sociology. Alvarado holds an associate degree from De Anza Community College, is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Kappa Delta and the National Scholars Honors Society. Currently, he serves as vice president of SJSU's Anthropology and Behavioral Science Club and volunteers his time to Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders) and to the InnVision program, an organization that assists homeless families and individuals.

Santa Cruz resident Julia Burrows, a graduate student pursuing a degree in marine science at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Burrows received her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and has been a research assistant at the University of Alaska's Juneau Center. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she is also an executive committee member of the Santa Cruz chapter of Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit environmental organization.

Oakland resident Jessie Bushell, a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in biological science. Bushell received her bachelor's degree in biology from UC Santa Cruz and works as the animal resource center supervisor at the San Francisco Zoo. Previously she worked as a wildlife keeper and educator at Coyote Point Museum. She is a 10-year volunteer with the Expanding Your Horizons in Math and Science Program in both San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

Santa Clara resident Elnaz Ebrahimi, an undergraduate majoring in computer engineering. Since 2006, Ebrahimi has been the Google Ambassador at SJSU. She is a member of the National Society of Women Engineers, the SJSU chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, and the campus Society of Computer Engineers. Fluent in English and Persian, she volunteer teaches Persian to second-generation Iranian students.

Cupertino resident Luisa Garrett, an undergraduate majoring in nutrition. An SJSU Dean's Scholar, Garrett works as a diet technician at the Center for Discovery and has presented nutrition education workshops at the local YMCA. She is a member of the campus Nutrition and Food Science Club and the San José Peninsula District branch of the American Dietetics Association.

San José resident Seher Hameed, an undergraduate majoring in corporate finance. Hameed has worked as a student assistant in the Dean's Office of the SJSU College of Business for four years. Fluent in four languages ??? English, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi ??? she has also been a tutor in the Business Students Advisement Center. She is a member of the Pakistan Students Association, the Financial Management Association and the Society for Advancement of Management.

San José resident Caroline Hill, a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in occupational therapy. As an undergraduate at SJSU, Hill was a scholarship athlete who competed on both the softball team and the women's golf team. She has served on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and is a member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association. On a volunteer basis, she has worked at Light House Project, a nonprofit pediatric clinic for children with developmental disabilities.

Cupertino resident Mehnaz Karampurwala, an undergraduate majoring in child and adolescent development. Karampurwala is a member of SJSU's Muslim Student Association and the PTA. She volunteers in her daughter's kindergarten classroom and in her son's fifth-grade classroom and has also volunteered as an Islamic teacher. After graduation and receiving her teaching credential, she plans to teach elementary school.

Cupertino resident Robin Melnick, a graduate student pursing a master's degree in linguistics and language development. Melnick returned to college after a 20-year Silicon Valley career in engineering and marketing. In 2006, he received the Dr. Josephine Chandler Humanities Scholarship from SJSU's College of Humanities and the Arts. He chairs the Music Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Palo Alto and is webmaster of the De Anza Oaks Homeowners Association.

Fremont resident Megha Patel, an undergraduate accounting major at San José State University. Patel won second place in the 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers Case Study competition and interned at the firm this past summer. She is director of faculty affairs for SJSU Associated Students and chairs the AS University Affairs Committee. She also serves as an Academic Senate student senator.

San José resident Sheila Garcia Severinghaus, a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in communicative disorders. Severinghaus works as a patent paralegal at Shemwell Mahamedi, LLP in San José. A President's Scholar, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association.

San José resident Sharin Shafian, an undergraduate majoring in mechanical engineering. Shafian already holds a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and completed two years of undergraduate work in Malaysia, where she was born. She works as a product test engineer at Synaptics in Santa Clara and is president of SJSU's Engineers Without Borders.

San José resident Philip Wilson, an undergraduate majoring in radio/television/film. A Dean's Scholar, Wilson is a member of the Film Production Society and the SJSU chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ. He received a comedy award at the 2006 Campus Movie Fest and is a Cinequest volunteer.

Hoover-Langdon Scholarship

Sunnyvale resident Beti Souri, an undergraduate accounting major. Souri arrived in the United States three years ago and holds an associate degree, also in accounting, from Foothill Community College.

Katherine Peterson Alumni Association Scholarship

San José resident Jane Cooper, a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in European history. Cooper holds a law degree from Rutgers University School of Law and has been a practicing attorney since 1976. A certified family law specialist, she has served on the Santa Clara County Bar Association's Pro Bono Panel and as Judge Pro Tempore of the Santa Clara County Superior Court. The recipient of the Mildred G. Winters Graduate Scholarship in 2006, she is a member of Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

The San José State University Alumni Association represents and serves more than 200,000 alumni, current students and friends of the university. To support the SJSU Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment, contact the association at 408-924-6515. More information about the association.