Democrats for Diversity and Inclusion (DDI)First Annual Scholarship Award
- Marla Beaver
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
SEATTLE — Democrats for Diversity & Inclusion (DDI) proudly announced the recipient of its inaugural $1,500 Annual Academic Scholarship, honoring a high school senior who exemplifies the values of equity, leadership, and civic engagement. Renton High School senior Zainab Asker was selected as the 2025 Scholarship Winner. The award was presented to Ms. Asker on August 21 at the Washington State Labor Council offices in Seattle. See award ceremony video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN1l6gmZp9I.
BackgroundIn the summer of 2024, Eric Evans, DDI Scholarship Committee Chair, read an article in the Washington Post called, “Many universities are abandoning race-conscious scholarships worth millions”. It began, “In the year since the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions, colleges have walked away from scholarships with racial criteria.” At the time, he did not realize how much worse the problem would get.
When Mr. Evans told DDI about this article, they decided to step in and do their part to fill the void left by the universities. That was the genesis of the DDI Scholarship Program.
2Zainab Asker, DDI Scholarship Winner
Renton High School senior Zainab Asker was selected as the 2025 Scholarship Winner for her outstanding commitment to inclusive healthcare and community empowerment. Asker, who will attend the University of Washington this fall, participated in the HealthPoint Health Scholars program, where she explored how systemic disparities impact health outcomes in underserved communities.
The DDI scholarship winner's essay began, “There's a particular kind of silence in rooms where no one looks like you.” She grabbed the scholarship committee’s attention with this first sentence. “I don’t want to be the exception in the room. I want to be part of a shift where the room looks different in the first place,” Asker wrote in her application. “Where opportunity isn’t mistaken for generosity, and inclusion isn’t conditional on staying quiet.”
Three finalists were also recognized for their contributions to inclusive leadership and youth political engagement.
3Benjamin Godfried, Scholarship Finalist
Benjamin Godfried, a senior at West Seattle High School and the school’s first Asian American ASB president, will attend the University of Washington. He earned recognition for transforming student government into a platform for cultural celebration and civic inclusion.
4Jonnika Senha Kwon, Scholarship Finalist, at a No Kings Rally
Jonnika Senha Kwon, a Holy Names Academy senior heading to Georgetown University, co-led the 2024 Young Leaders Summit with Rep. Osman Salahuddin. The event brought together over 100 youth and 20 elected officials, amplifying young voices in state-level political discourse.
Adreanna Jean Wood attended Garfield High School in Seattle, where she was an active member of the Black Student Union. With a background that is both African American and European, she has experience navigating and connecting diverse cultural environments. Her long-term aspiration is to pursue a career as a surgeon.
The DDI Scholarship supports local high school seniors pursuing higher education at a two- or four-year institution. This year’s honorees reflect DDI’s mission to promote representation of people of color, minorities, and individuals from historically disenfranchised communities in public life.
“Our students are not just future leaders — they are leading now,” said the DDI Scholarship Committee. “This scholarship exists to recognize that, and to reaffirm our commitment to elevating the voices that will shape the future of our democracy.”
DDI welcomes community members to participate in its ongoing efforts to support equitable representation. The organization hosts monthly meetings on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. PT via Zoom (moved to Tuesday if Monday is a holiday).
For more information about Democrats for Diversity & Inclusion or the scholarship program,
· Goto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN1l6gmZp9I to see a video of the scholarship award ceremony.
· Visit Democrats for Diversity & Inclusion.
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