Announcing the 2023 Ham4Progress Scholarship Winners

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and Hamilton are delighted to announce the winners of the third annual Ham4Progress Award for Educational Advancement, a cash award supporting college-bound high school students from communities that directly experience the consequences of injustice and discrimination.

Ham4Progress is a community highlighting social justice causes and a gathering place for meaningful discussion. Run by a diverse collective of Hamilton cast members and staff, Ham4Progress aims to inspire its community and its fans to action.

Winners of the Ham4Progress Award receive a $2,000 prize to be used for educational purposes, which may include test preparation courses; tutoring; college visits; and technology, including laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices.

The Ham4Progress winners for 2023 are

• Yara Almoussa, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, Pittsburgh, PA
• Riva Babaria, Sayreville War Memorial High School, Parlin, NJ
• Trinity Cortez-Ansley, Health Sciences High and Middle College, San Diego, CA
• Chidalu Emy-Munonye, Urbana High School, Frederick, MD
• Kristy Garcia, Sayreville War Memorial High School, Parlin, NJ
• Hemali Gauri, Haas Hall Academy, Fayetteville, AR
• Iman Ibrahim, Eagan High School, Eagan, MN
• Melvin Joseph, Milton Academy, Milton, MA
• Jennifer Levine, Friends Seminary, New York, NY
• Sarah Long, Rockingham Early College High School, Wentworth, NC
• Joyti Nath, Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY
• Chiemela Nwokoro, Eastern Technical High School, Essex, MD
• Fernanda Rios, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, El Paso, TX
• Maria Rueda, Immokalee High School, Immokalee, FL
• Isoken Umweni, Arts High School, Newark, NJ
• Ayana Williams, Naugatuck High School, Naugatuck, CT
• Justin Zhang, Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ

Students enrolled in grade 11 at a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School in the 50 United States and District of Columbia with a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale were eligible to apply. In their applications, students provided a letter of recommendation from a teacher accompanied by their high school transcripts and a personal statement about what the student is doing to further social justice and why it is an important issue for the student to address. Students were also asked to explain how they exemplify Alexander Hamilton’s qualities of the pursuit of knowledge, both inside and outside the classroom, as well as his qualities of resilience, hard work, and initiative.

Visit https://www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-and-events/ham4progress-award to learn more about the Ham4Progress Award.