Eleven Tacoma-area students will head to colleges across the country with a combined $26,500 in scholarship money from the Making A Difference Foundation.
The Tacoma-based nonprofit announced the recipients of its 2026-27 scholarship program on Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to SouthSoundBiz.com.
A selection committee chose the 11 students based on academic achievement, leadership and community involvement, the foundation said in a release.
Ahndrea Blue, president and CEO of the Making A Difference Foundation (MADF), said the recipients showed determination and a commitment to their communities. Blue said the foundation is honored to invest in their education and looks forward to the impact they will make.
The recipients and their schools are:
- Rahail Alem, Columbia University
- Jaylah Cage, Hampton University
- Angeline Cifelli, Gonzaga University
- Augustine Cifelli, Washington State University
- K'Maria Cowains, University of California, Riverside
- Aliyah Diquan-McRae, University of Washington
- Ubah Farah, Seattle Central College
- Calyx Hall, Otis College of Art and Design
- Leilani Sallier, Louisiana State University
- McKayla Simmons, Los Angeles Harbor College
- Rogerick Watts, University of California, Irvine
Recipients will attend schools in seven states. Two siblings, Angeline and Augustine Cifelli, are among them, heading to Gonzaga University and Washington State University. Two others, Aliyah Diquan-McRae and Ubah Farah, will stay close to home at the University of Washington and Seattle Central College.
Blue also founded Eloise's Cooking Pot Food Bank on Tacoma's Eastside. MADF was established in 2003 and has distributed $108 million into Washington communities over the past decade through food assistance, housing support, scholarships and economic opportunity programs, according to a Tacoma Weekly report in August.
Individual award amounts were not disclosed.
