By Above: President Emerita Alecia DeCoudreaux (center) with two recipients of the Alumnae of Color Endowed Scholarship in her honor: the late Sharon Robinson ’14, MPP ’15 (left); and Bryana Jones ’17 (right).
As of this February, the Alumnae of Color Endowed Scholarship in Honor of Alecia A. DeCoudreaux has reached a landmark $250,000, with the help of more than 200 donations from the Mills community and beyond. In total, the scholarship has raised $253,750, with $4,158 just this fiscal year.
Created in 2011 to support students of color, the fund was endowed in 2015 by the Alumnae of Color Committee (AOCC) in honor of President Emerita Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, the first African American president of Mills College. In the following years, the committee embarked on fundraising efforts that have included campus concerts, online campaigns, and contributions from private foundations. So far, the scholarship has been awarded to 12 students since 2012.
In a recent email sent to fund donors, members of the AOCC—Lynette Castille-Hall ’75; Myila Granberry ’05; Estrellita Hudson Redus ’65, MFA ’75; Micheline Beam ’72; and Connie Swan-Davidson ’73—celebrated the achievement: “We plan for our scholarship to continue for generations to come,” they wrote. “As Mills celebrates its 170th anniversary, and prepares to enter a merger with Northeastern University, we are excited to continue to lend our support to all students of color in President DeCoudreaux’s honor.”
“Receiving this scholarship made me feel like people are taking notice and are proud of having me in their community.”
—Tagira Alvarenga ’22
