Kimberly Koop
[Education]
This year, Kimberly Koop, 20-year-old Queens, New Yorker, is one of the twelve recipients of the Sylvia and Herbert Woods Endowment Scholarship Fund Scholarship.
For the past 12 years, Sylvia and Herbert Woods Endowment Scholarship Fund have awarded scholarships to tri-state high school students. The scholarship is named after the late owner of Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem, Sylvia Woods, and made possible through donations from corporations and individuals.
Kimberly attended Notre Dame High School in Manhattan, an all girls’ private school and graduated at age 17. Kimberly had been on Notre Dame’s honor roll from her freshman year, but believes that you don’t have to attend an elite school to excel. “Joining as many clubs as possible will increase your chances of receiving a scholarship,” she says.
Kimberly was a member of her schools tennis, track, Art & drama and French clubs. She said that the track and tennis was mainly for recreational purposes. Kimberly also volunteered in a soup kitchen. Helping people is a reward in itself and is obviously recognized when applying for scholarships.
All her efforts helped and she was granted some latitude even when her application for the scholarship was late, because they “knew the economic struggles I was facing and saw that I was an exceptional student and helped me out,” Kimberly says. “I’m in my first year of pharmacy school at LIU Brooklyn.”
She said, “I like to help people and I think being a pharmacist will allow me to do this.”
This year’s Endowment Scholarship Fund will be held on October 25, 2013 at Harlem’s Riverside Church. Joi Gordon, the Chief Executive Officer of Dress for Success Worldwide, will receive the Herbert Woods Community Service Award. Melba Wilson, owner of Melba’s Restaurant Harlem USA, will receive the Sylvia’s Entrepreneurial Award.
The affair will be hosted by actor, director and choreographer, Maurice Hines. One hundred percent of the profits will go towards assisting future scholars from Harlem and throughout the tri-state area. Kimberly will attend the ceremony with her grandmother.
The Sylvia and Herbert Woods Endowment Scholarship encourages more low income African American and Latino students to apply.
Hopefully, after reading Kimberly’s story, more economically disadvantaged scholars will feel confident to compete and receive assistance in their efforts to obtain higher education.
