The end of 2020 we selected another phenomenal student to be the recipient of a STG Star Scholarship.  Kailen Branson is a young man from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and an aspiring artist. He is currently attending Concordia University, majoring in Graphic Design and considering a minor in English. Kailen said, “Spending the summer interning for the local newspaper, North News, helped me realized my passion for literature and graphic design.” Design and the arts have always interested Kailen, and now he plans on becoming a professional in the field. In the future, he hopes to be an established professional artist, designing art for video games and movies. He also hopes to publish a fiction novel. Kailen plans to tackle all of his ambitious goals and communicate empowering messages of hope through his art. Kailen’s future is very bright and with his continuous drive and determination, he will leave his mark and impact many lives. 

In November 2020 our STG Scholarship Committee selected a recipient for the STG “Guns Down Books Up Scholarship” in honor of Ms. Birdell Beeks and STG “Dream Driver” Scholarship in honor of Community Leader Natalie Johnson Lee Winners. We selected two incredible ladies who have shown their dedication to their education and commitment to making their mark and creating change.

Our first winner is Hazaelee Sellers, Hazaelee is a Civil Engineering and Psychology Major at George Brown College. Right now, she is interning with a minority-owned construction business, serving as their project manager’s assistant. After receiving both of her degrees, Hazaelee would like to secure a job as a project manager and begin her future. After gaining years of experience as a project engineer in a construction company, she would like to work in a water treatment center to design equipment to purify and reuse gray water. In the future, Hazaelee hopes to supervise a team of younger engineers to capture, test, and design pathways to delivering clean water to different communities. Hazaelee would like to take her skills abroad and build wells and water tunnels in third-world countries that lack clean water. She would also like to lead a waterworks project that allows young engineers to travel and design wells in different countries, creating opportunities for mission trips and international education. With Hazaelee’s adventurous dreams, she is destined to go far with her future. Congratulations, Hazaelee, and continue to be an extravagant young woman. To learn more about our STG Scholarships please visit: https://survivingthegame.org/stg-2017-star-scholarship-in-honor-of-ms-birdell-beeks/

Our second winner is Natividad Herrera, Natividad is a Social Work Major at St.Catherine University. Her goal is to become a Macro Social Worker, impacting both community connection and political action. Natividad wants to work within large communities to advocate for permanent change for future generations by forming allyships with marginalized groups. She is unsure of what specific organizations she’d like to serve yet, but assisting groups in reaching their goals are her main goal. Natividad’s passion is to end the need for social workers like myself. She wants to ensure that clients will have all the resources they need, and if they need any additional help, they will be able to contact professionals like herself. Natividad wants to be part of a change much larger than herself. Congratulations Natividad, we know you are destined for great things. To learn more about our STG Scholarships please visit: https://survivingthegame.org/dream-keeper-award-2015/