A newsletter for alumni, students, parents and friends.

Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients
Thanks to alumni and friends, in 2007 the USCA awarded scholarships totaling $25,868 to 32 members. Meet two of these exceptional co-opers!

Jordan Pelot-Whitcomb
Recipient of the Pioneer Award,awarded to a co-oper who truly embodies the cooperative spirit and contributes to lasting positive change in the co-ops.

FROM: Cotati, CA
HOUSE: Kingman Hall
MEMBER SINCE: Fall 2003
MAJOR: Physics

At Kingman, housemates refer to Jordan as the “unofficial master manager” of the house. A Kingmanite since 2003, Jordan has continually worked to create a sustained community dynamic, while at the same time welcoming each member to participate in the ever-evolving culture of the house. Jordan has served as House Manager and Social Manager, and was most recently the USCA’s Recruitment Coordinator. Whether a manager or not, Jordan has always remained accessible as an excellent listener and has been someone housemates turn to for comfort and support on personal issues or conflicts.

Jordan has organized co-op wide events such as dance parties and go-cart races, as well as community service events, such as coordinating co-opers to assist in fixing houses in low-income Oakland neighborhoods. Since Spring 2006, Jordan has also been key at bringing together neighbors and Kingman residents to renovate the Kingman Amphitheatre, which has received an initial $15,000 grant from UC Berkeley’s Chancellor’s Community Fund.

Jordan graduated this past Spring and spent the summer leading science camps for kids at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Brenda Perez
Recipient of the June Walton Tichinin Memorial Grant, awarded to a woman on the basis of financial need and potential for leadership.

FROM: Los Angeles, CA via Jalisco, Mexico
HOUSE: Fenwick Weavers’ Village
MEMBER SINCE: Summer 2005
MAJOR: Architecture

Brenda graduated this past Spring, and will now be pursuing her Masters in Architecture. Her goal is to design affordable and sustainable environments, providing a better quality of life for the urban poor, especially among communities of color.

Brenda is the first in her family to graduate from high school and now college. She says that “as an immigrant student the greatest issue that drives my life is the struggle for a higher education for all students regardless of immigration status.” This passion drove Brenda to join the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, where she coordinated the youth component and the UC Berkeley chapter. Brenda says “Our campaign (for the passage of Assembly Bill 540 that guaranteed in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students in public universities) was successful, but more than anything the experience taught me to take a stand for my education and for others.”

Brenda says of her home at Fenwick: “Living in Fenwick has allowed me to finish my degree. I have learned to cooperate, to be independent and to be self-sufficient.”