Newsletter 5.23.25 | Meet Our Scholarship Winner!
Dear friends and supporters,
One more student is on her way to college, thanks to your help! Your generosity made it possible to honor Stefanny Hernandez, an exceptional student and leader at John W. North High. With great pride, we presented Stefanny with the Dr. Horace Jackson Legacy Scholarship worth $6,000 at the Senior Awards Night in Riverside on May 15.
The youngest child of deaf parents, Stefanny grew up with extraordinary challenges as she interpreted for her parents and represented them in many situations.
That experience, she said, “shaped her identity” and developed her “profound sense of responsibility and resilience.” With that foundation, Stefanny excelled at North, earning a 4.0 average and serving her fellow students in multiple activities. Now, she heads to Riverside City College with a goal of transferring to a university that offers Deaf Studies. She wants to become a court interpreter in Riverside, a city with one of the largest deaf/hard-of-hearing populations in California.
Stefanny communicates with her deaf parents in sign language. She has interpreted for them since she was a young girl, helping them navigate two worlds: “The vibrant, expressive world of American Sign Language (ASL) and the fast-paced, often overwhelming world of spoken English and Spanish.”
Stefanny and her mother
“This scholarship (helps) fund my goal of being the first person in my family to go to college and serving the people in communities I grew up in.” (To learn more about Stefanny, click here.)
We wholeheartedly support Stefanny and appreciate your contributions that make these scholarships possible!
The award was presented by Cully Williamson, Class of ‘75 and a member of the HJL Scholarship Board. Assisting was alum Alyssa Martinez (Class of ‘23/HJLS award winner).
In recognizing the 2025 award winner, Cully said Stefanny’s vision gives us all hope. “You are the legacy of the progress we’ve made – and the promise of the progress still to come. Keep lifting others as you climb. That’s what leaders do.”
To all the students at the event, Cully gave this encouragement: “Know that your story matters. Your identity is your strength. And your dreams are worthy of every ounce of support and celebration.” (To hear Cully's speech in full click here.)
Nancy Biddle Sutterley, Cathy Jackson (Dr. Horace Jackson's widow), Molly Williamson, Alyssa Martinez, Stefanny Hernandez, Cully Williamson, Michele Himmelberg
This is the fourth year of the HJL Scholarship program, which supports North High graduates who attend community college. Stefanny and other HJL Scholarship awardees may now apply for continuing aid as they progress with their education. This year, we awarded $500 in continuing aid to Alyssa Martinez (a Class of ‘23 winner), thanks to support from Jennifer Takatori Lim (Class of '72). Jennifer's direct donation allows us to make more awards while continuing to grow our fund. Several alumni have helped in the same way.
Alyssa is pursuing a coveted spot in the Riverside City College Nursing program, with the goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. We are rooting for Alyssa and have promised further aid once she is accepted into the program.
“Any amount I receive through the scholarship means a lot, and I am very grateful,” she said.
Each of the 2025 Scholarship applicants is worthy of our support, and we wish we could give awards to them all. To date, we have raised over $160,000 - enough to endow one scholarship. Our next goal is $250,000 in order to endow two scholarships every year.
One way you can really help is to talk about our scholarship. Please tell at least one friend, family member or Riverside leader, and encourage them to go to our website: https://www.horacejacksonscholarship.com to learn about our goals to help this generation of Huskies.
Thank you for your continued support!
The Scholarship Founding Team
Nancy Biddle Sutterley '75; Riverside City College; BA UCLA 1979; MBA Cal State East Bay 1991
Oscar Edwards '72; Riverside City College; BA UCLA 1978; MBA Anderson School - UCLA 1981; DBA, Grand Canyon University, 2022
Michele Himmelberg '74; Riverside City College; BA USC 1979
Cullen Williamson '75; Cabrillo College; BS San Jose State University 1980; MBA USF 2001
Molly Williamson '74; UC Riverside; Cabrillo College; Riverside City College; Santa Monica College; BS San Jose State University 1984