Meet the Scholars

2011 Bezos Scholars

They hail from the northern tip of Maine, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the heart of Newark, New Jersey.  And, for the first time, from five African countries. Meet the 2011 Bezos Scholars, 17 top high school seniors and 13 exceptional educators from public schools across the United States and from the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg.

Valerie Quirk & English Teacher Alisa Boyd
Central High School, Springfield, MO   

Locher Grove & A.P. U.S. History Teacher Nicole Doherty
Patrick Henry High School, Roanoke, VA

Katherine Cooke & History and Social Studies Teacher Chris Michel
Bellingham High School, Bellingham, WA

Miguel Goncalves & Guidance Counselor Linda Shaddix
Cypress Creek High School, Orlando, FL

Nicholas Okafor & A.P. U.S. History & Theatre Teacher Erika Ellis
School for the Talented and Gifted, Dallas, TX

Andrew Mitchell & School Counselor Linda Safty Unsworth
Helena High School, Helena, MT

Sundoes Elbery & History Teacher Kimberly Frankel
North Star Academy College Preparatory High School, Newark, NJ

Evelyn Torres & A.P. U.S. History Teacher Caroline Gifford
KIPP San Jose Collegiate, San Jose, CA

Kent Smith & School Guidance Counselor Mary Warren
Presque Isle High School, Presque Isle, Maine

Elizabeth Santiago & Assistant Principal Steve Magadance
International School of the Americas, San Antonio, TX

Sarah Sinclair & Vice Principal Davan Dodrill
Columbus Alternative High School, Columbus, OH

Jennifer Tu & Teacher Jane Maher
Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA

Bezos Scholars from the African Leadership Academy (ALA)
 

Abdramane Diabate of Kati, Mali

Julius Kakwenzire of Kampala, Uganda

Tafadzwa Matika of Harare, Zimbabwe

Esther Soma of Nairobi, Kenya

Kenza Bouhaj of Fez, Morocco

Segun Olagunju of the ALA Leadership & Entrepreneurship faculty