The competitive Oishei Scholarship supports students of color for the full four years of high school
The John R. Oishei Foundation, the area’s most comprehensive private foundation, has awarded the annual Oishei Scholarship to 14 incoming high school freshmen beginning in the fall of 2021. The competitive scholarship program received more than 77 applications from a variety of talented, accomplished students throughout the Western New York area.
The Oishei High School Scholarship program, established in 1998 in partnership with the Education Collaborative of WNY (EdCo), offers an educational opportunity to local students of color with a financial need. The highly selective scholarship funds the full four-year tuition* of one incoming freshman at each of 14 local private high schools. The Foundation has invested more than $13 million and supported approximately 350 students in the Scholarship program over its 23-year history.
Those awarded the Scholarship and their associated high school include:
• Luiyamil Diaz, Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School
• Iyana Bordeaux, Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart
• Teresa Kyaw, Buffalo Seminary
• Isaiah Aljuwani, Canisius High School
• Akyra Starks, Cardinal O’Hara High School
• Jackson Liriano, Gow School
• Gianna Anderson, Mount Mercy Academy
• Jeuryeliz Marrero, Mount St. Mary Academy
• Janiah White, Nardin Academy
• LaNiya Sheppard, Nichols School
• Ethan Garrison Farley, St. Francis High School
• Hsa Tha Blay, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute
• Nya Ricks, St. Mary’s High School
• Avione Carson, The Park School of Buffalo
Interested students applied for the scholarship through EdCo, which manages the selection process on behalf of the Foundation. An independent selection committee made up of community representatives determines the scholarships annually.
The Oishei Scholarship program is part of the Oishei Foundation’s commitment to racial equity and is strategically aligned with the Foundation’s focus on providing resources and support in the education sector.
The John R. Oishei Foundation is the most comprehensive private foundation in Western New York focusing on a broad range of interrelated issues and offering philanthropic support that goes far beyond funding. Our mission is to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region through grantmaking, leadership, and network building. The Foundation was established in 1940 by John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products Corporation.
* The Scholarship to The Gow school is supported by both the Gow School and The Oishei Foundation.