Laney College and the Peralta Colleges Foundation partnered with COMCAST® to provide a scholarship of $1,000 to several students who are currently experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Many of our students are basic needs insecure, and while these scholarships may not solve the problem entirely, it is just one area of Laney College’s multifaceted approach to working with the community to support solutions that help our students both inside and out of the classroom.
Remunda Ashley
Remunda Ashley has lived in Oakland for 29 years and is originally from Fairfield, Calif. Ashley became homeless in 2016, and after two years, she enrolled into courses at Laney College, determined to learn how to build her own tiny home. She is currently on track to graduate in the spring of 2021, with goals of transferring to obtain her master’s in 3D Printing, so that she can someday teach others how to build tiny homes with sustainable and efficient technology. Ashley says with a smile, “I want to use my future six-figure business to build homes.” The Carpentry major seeks to replace tents with 10’ x 10’ homes. Ashley has also founded the Pink Elephant Project, which is an organization that offers free workmanship on eco-friendly tiny homes. “Thank you, please continue to consider people in my position, who need a step up. There are always toy drives and canned food drives, but we need more scholarships like this,” says Ashley.
Victoria Hughes
Victoria Hughes is pursuing a degree at Laney College to transfer and receive their Master of Architecture Degree, with a focus on environmentally sustainable design. While Hughes is undecided as to where they want to transfer to, they have their eyes on UC Berkeley and Cal Poly. Hughes currently lives in a 2005 Ford van with their 5-year-old cat, Daisy. Hughes explains that it is especially challenging to do homework and study in their van in extreme temperatures, due to its poor insulation. “This scholarship will help by providing the means to better insulate my van, as well as complete my solar system so that I can use a small space heater in the winter nights and a fan during the hot summers,” says Hughes. By regulating the temperatures, they are able to sleep better, charge devices such as laptops and their phone, as well as prepare food safely, which in turn allows them to focus more on their studies. When talking about their goals for the future, Hughes says, “I want to design durable buildings and structures, both commercial and residential, that work with the local climate/environment they are being built in, rather than competing with it.”
Alexis Milligan
Alexis Milligan, 23, has been homeless for 3 years and attends Laney College with goals of transferring to obtain her bachelor’s degree in Nursing. With a passion for Women’s Studies and psychology, Milligan intends on creating her own pathway to empower and educate women of color in areas of the world that need it most, while being a role model to her 16-month-old daughter, Aloni. “I want to be able to heal their mentality, along with any emergency medical needs,” says Milligan. In 2017, she started her educational journey within the Peralta Community College District, and while she had no idea what she wanted to major in, she knew that she wanted to provide a solution to the short and long-term effects trauma has on women. “I know this $1,000 would make an impact on my current living situation because it gives me the time to breathe and appreciate my growth if only just for a moment,” says Milligan.
Sammang On
Samnang On is a single father to his daughter Zuri, 7, and son, Doan, 9. When Zuri was six months old, her mother began to struggle with addiction. As the addiction grew, On realized that the best thing to do for his family, was to leave the toxic environment which they called home. He lost his job because he had no one to take care of his two children, and could not afford to pay a daycare center. Because of this, he continues to struggle to provide basic needs to his family today. It was at this point in his life, where he decided to enroll at Laney College, to pursue a degree in Language Arts.
“After months of deliberating, I knew a dead-end-job wouldn’t bring stability for me and my kids to have a better future, and I knew that I needed to be more educated to support my kids in their own education,” says On. The father-of-two contributes his academic success to his professors at Laney, and says they are the reason he continues to flourish as a student, despite his circumstances. With gratitude, On explains that the scholarship will help provide financial breathing room, which will help him go the extra mile for his family’s needs.
Marc Rowland
After his wife passed away in 2011 due to an inoperable brain tumor, Marc Rowland was left with no money and became homeless within a year. Rowland quit his job to care for his wife, and fell into a deep depression after she succumbed to her illness. He originally decided to go back to school as a distraction, but found his purpose in his studies, “pursuing my higher education proved beneficial in distracting me from the grief, depression, and living conditions following my losses. My course work completed so far has been with high honors; I am maintaining a 3.68 GPA. This scholastic achievement resulted in being nominated as a scholar laureate for two consecutive years,” says the proud Phi Theta Kappa Officer. Rowland is currently living in a used van and is working diligently to achieve a Doctorate in Archaeology. He has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Laney College, The Peralta Colleges Foundation, and COMCAST®.
Jaun Salinas
Juan Salinas grew up in Milpitas, Calif. and has struggled with homelessness and a cycle of incarceration for most of his teen years and adult life. He participated in the Prison University Project (PUP) while incarcerated at San Quinten State Prison, which offers Associate of Arts degrees, and a college preparatory program. Through this experience, Salinas was referred to Laney College’s Restoring Our Communities Program, where he found community, support, and most importantly, his passion. Salinas has always enjoyed cooking, and has discovered the art of culinary. “I enjoy bringing smiles to those who have tasted my food,” says Salinas. After earning his degree at Laney, Salinas plans to transfer and obtain his bachelor’s degree in business to support his long-term goal of entrepreneurship. Over the summer, Salinas was placed in transitional housing through the Oakland Day Reporting Center, which was cut short unexpectedly. Salinas says the Homelessness & Housing Scholarship will aid in his housing until he is able to secure something long term.
Terance Willams
Terance Williams is currently the student body president at Laney College. He is majoring in communications, with hopes of becoming a member of congress one day. Upon, graduating from Laney College. Terance plans on furthering his education at a Historically Black College or University where he wants to shift his focus to political science and African-American studies. As a student whose experienced many setbacks, he knows the need to use his voice to advocate for students facing housing and food insecurities, social inequality. As the President of student government, Terance represents the interests of student body at Laney College to the best of his ability. His goal in life is to inspire people and wants someone to look at him and say,”Because of you, I didn’t give up.”
