IN THIS ISSUE

Letter from the Executive Director

Hammie News

Feature Story: By Hammies, For Hammies

Program Updates

• Looking Ahead
  
• Texas Leader Weekend
• Cohort News
• Application Season

Development

Sponsors

Hammiesphere Editor:

Yenny

media@hamiltonscholars.org

2023: The Year of New Beginnings

Welcome to our latest edition of 2023! As we wrap up the year, we reflect on 2023 as the year of many new adventures for our Scholars. In this edition, we delve into two major Hammie-run groups, the 'Hambassadors' and the 'Hammie Press Corps,' exploring how they initiated these groups and much more!

Here's to the Scholars, the innovators, and the architects of change—thank you for making 2023 an unforgettable chapter in our collective story!"

[Above: Three 2022 Hamilton Scholars posing and smiling]

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Happy Winter Hamilton Community,

As we wrap up the fourth quarter of 2023, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless ways our incredible team, dedicated Board and volunteers, and generous donors have continued to make a positive impact on our 152 active Scholars. From meaningful mentorship, internship support, to emergency funds, and in-person Leader Weeks with COVID protocols in three fantastic locations (Year 1 in NYC, Year 2 in Seattle, and Year 3 in Dallas), we've truly covered it all.

Let's not forget the launch of Schoology, our online curriculum platform, ongoing pillar-based conference calls, road trips to support our beloved Hammies, application outreach, donor-hosted House Parties, and the ever-evolving program shaped by valuable feedback. Our community is thriving!

As we bid farewell to fall and eagerly anticipate the onset of winter on December 21st with Winter Solstice, it's a season for reflection. A time to ponder by the candlelight, on community, growth, and vision alignment for the past year and the one ahead. It's about cherishing the beautiful moments and people that remind us of the incredible gift it is to be right here, right now. In these longer nights and shorter days, let's be the guiding light for our loved ones, our communities, ourselves, and the world.

Some of our trimester highlights have been:

• The 2024 Hamilton Award Cohort application is live until January 31st, 2024. Encourage high school juniors to apply for our Empowerment Program.
  
• Texas Leader Week in November brought together our 2020 and 2021 Scholars for a memorable in-person experience.
• Cassandra Baddeley promoted to Assistant Director of Alexander Hamilton Scholars
• Yenny Arteaga promoted to Marketing and Volunteer Manager
• Our Alumni Board, Alumni, and active Scholars donated the funds to completely cover the cost of the 2024 Scholar application platform
• The creation of the AHS Press Corp by Hammies for Hammies
• We appreciate those who have already contributed to our End of Year Campaign: Building Bridges. If you haven't, please consider making a difference with an end-of-year gift today. [Click here to donate.]
  

And don't miss the latest edition of our fourth quarter Hammiesphere on our website, offering deeper insights into programming, Scholar news, and development.

Wishing each of you a season filled with peace, restorative connections, and moments of pure light and unmitigated joy. Thank you for being an essential part of our Hamilton Community.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Angela Hedwall

HAMMIE NEWS

Scholar Spotlights

Cyntia Roig

2022 Hammie Cyntia Roig has been accepted into the Brown University Bonner Community Fellowship (BCF), which is a 4-year program aimed at promoting social justice through experiential learning opportunities and critical reflection. As a BCF student, Cyntia will learn how to address the most pressing issues in the community while considering the intersections of power and privilege.

Sofia Chavez

2021 Hammie Sofia Chavez is currently studying abroad in Argentina, where their grandfather's father was one of the "disappeared" during the '70s dictatorship. When her mom was a baby, her grandfather left to search for his missing father in Argentina. Living in Bolivia was too dangerous which forced her mom and grandma to move to the US, where their grandmother worked tirelessly to bring their grandfather over. However, their grandfather never spoke about what happened during his search. Recently, she has discovered an organization helping families of the disappeared and plans to use a national blood database to find her missing family members.

"Estoy muy emocionado por esto. Mi historia es poderosa." -- Sofia Chavez

(Translation: I am very excited about this. My history is powerful.)

Dajuantay Wynter

2021 Hammie Dajuantay has been selected as one of the fortunate few from an applicant pool of 800+ to attend Harvard Public Policy Leadership Conference!

This incredible opportunity will allow them to delve deep into the world of public policy in a graduate school environment, learn from the best minds in the field, and connect with the brilliant students, faculty, and staff at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Moreover, they will be exploring valuable fellowship and scholarship opportunities that could potentially fund their HKS graduate studies!

SPOTLIGHT

By Hammies, for Hammies

The start of scholar run groups

Hammies have embarked on an exciting journey this year - Scholar-run groups. Driven by a shared desire to forge deeper connections among like-minded Scholars with similar hobbies, interests, and motivations, two remarkable groups have emerged, creating enthusiasm within the community.

The first of these groups named the Hambassadors, is a dynamic assembly of Hamilton Scholars from multiple cohorts who united with a common goal - to spread the word about the organization. Their mission involves a multifaceted approach, including outreach to high schools, tabling at events, crafting engaging content for our social media platforms, and actively participating in initiatives to amplify awareness about AHS (Alexander Hamilton Scholars). As the award season unfolds, the Hambassadors find themselves in overdrive, intensifying their meetings and planning sessions to ensure the organization's continued success

The second group, the Hammie Press Corps, emerged from the collective passion for journalism harbored by three Scholars from the 2023 cohort. Seated in the bustling subway of New York, inspiration struck as they envisioned creating stories that delve into the unique perspectives and experiences of the Hammie community. Although still in the early stages of development, they have already made a promising start with the publication of two compelling articles [read here].

The "By Hammies, for Hammies" ethos encapsulates the spirit of these Scholar-run groups, fostering a sense of unity and purpose within the Hamilton Scholars community. As the Hambassadors and Hammie Press Corps continue to flourish, their impact resonates far beyond the realm of AHS, exemplifying the power of collaboration and shared passion in creating a thriving community.

PROGRAMMING

Updates

Looking Ahead

We can hardly believe it has been a year since our last Q4 report. There has been a lot of change and growth here at Hamilton in one short year. We have welcomed many new HamFam members into Scholar, volunteer, Board, and Council of Advisor positions, but have also said goodbye to other very important and loved staff members. Mikala and Elias, we miss you every day. We are so appreciative of your work with us from a distance and look forward to future collaborations. Liliana and Anubhav, thank you for giving us your time and dedication for the short time we got to have you on staff. We can’t wait to see the impact you will have on your patients in the not-too-distant future. We are so proud of you!

What hasn’t changed and never will change here in Program is our love for our Hammies “new” and “old”. We continue to look forward to finding new and exciting ways to highlight and celebrate our Scholars and their outstanding achievements. Please stay tuned in to the upcoming Qs’ Hammiespheres and AHS social media for those highlights!

Texas Leader Week Highlights

In November we met 20 of our college sophomore and junior Scholars in Dallas, Texas for our annual Texas Leader Weekend (TLW). Our Hammies had four days to reconnect, connect with members of another cohort, explore post-undergraduate options, learn from over 30 professional volunteers from across the country, explore and learn at the Center for BrainHealth, and eat some incredible food at Terry Black’s BBQ and the El Fenix. We packed a lot into just a few short days! TLW sessions included: interview preparation for prospective grad school and job opportunities, professional branding skills, head shots for networking sites, advanced financial literacy, 1-on-1 resume reviews, and mock interviews.

Developement

Updates

End of Year Campaign

Our campaign for end of year is now Active! We express our gratitude to those who have already made valuable contributions to our End of Year Campaign: Building Bridges. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, we kindly invite you to join us in making a meaningful impact by contributing to our end-of-year campaign today. [Click here to make a donation.] Your support will help us build bridges and create positive change.

Save the Date

Westin Downtown Seattle: Fall Fundraising Luncheon, Wednesday Oct 9th 2024

SPONSORS

Alexander Hamilton Scholars' is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit Empowering high-achieving, underserved young leaders to thrive in college and beyond. A community of ethical leaders who break barriers to build an equitable society. Our five-year program provides these students with a comprehensive network of support and guidance so they, in turn, can be agents of positive change in their communities.

Alexander Hamilton Scholars

P.O. Box 81047

Seattle, WA 98108

(206) 460-0740

info@hamiltonscholars.org

hamiltonscholars.org