Thanks to alumni and friends, in 2005 the USCA awarded scholarships totaling $22,454 to 25 co-opers. Meet some of these exceptional co-opers:
Cristelle Blackford
Winner of the Bogie Bogart Bear Bucks in Aid, awarded to Juniors and Seniors on the basis of need.
FROM: Occidental and Orange County, Ca
HOUSE: Ridge, Euclid
MEMBER SINCE: 2003
MAJOR: Comparative Literature
Since starting at Berkeley, Cristelle studied abroad in Switzerland and Denmark, and for the summer she is studying German in Berlin. She is now fluent in Swedish and Danish, an accomplishment she says would not have been possible without the co-op scholarships.
After Cristelle leaves the co-ops she plans to work at a nonprofit work in San Francisco, possibly in translation. In the future she hopes to spend time with Amnesty International (possibly in South America) before returning to her studies - she hopes to atten graduate school abroad, possibly in Sweden.
Cristelle loves her co-op because...
The co-ops have given me a space where I can be myself with others. They have taught me to embrace and appreciate many people of different ideologies and backrounds than my own that I might possibly never have had the chance to interact with otherwise.
Linda Ayana Eaton
Winner of the Bogie Bogart Bear Bucks in Aid, awarded to Juniors and Seniors on the basis of need.
FROM: San Bernardino, CA
HOUSE: Sherman
MEMBER SINCE: 2003
MAJOR: Integrative Biology and African American Studies
For 10 hours a week Linda works for AmeriCorps National Service Organization at McClymods High School in Oakland teaching high school students learn that college is an option. She helps students apply to college, edit their personal statements, and do informational sessions on applying for financial aid. “It was really nice to see at the end of the year when four of my students I had helped apply to college got into Cal and 3 into SFSU.”
Linda will be Workshift Manager this summer at Sherman. In the Fall Linda will be applying to Dental School, and her future plans include working as a dentist in a socially diverse community.
Linda loves her co-op because...
“I enjoyed living in the all-female house and living at Sherman made me get more involved in gender issues and Black Feminism. And I love that we had great parties this year because I planned them as Social Manger!
Oron Frenkel
Winner of the Pioneer Award, awarded to a co-oper who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in serving his/her co-op.
FROM: Miami Beach
HOUSES: Lothlorien, Northside Co-op Apartments
MEMBER SINCE: 1999
MAJORS: Grad student in UCB/UCSF Joint MS/MD Program
Oron was selected for the Pioneer Award for his efforts to foster the cooperative spirit at the Northside Co-op Apartments, as well as his systemwide efforts to help co-opers eat well and be healthy. He helped found the “farmers’ market run” so co-opers buy fresh, organic produce from local farmers.
Currently, Oron is beloved around Northside for regularly popping by with popcorn and homemade cookies. He is also the “grounds manager” at Northside - a position created specifically for him, after fellow co-opers noticed that in his free time he planted a garden with medicinal herbs for all to enjoy.
Oron’s plans for the Fall?
“School, school, school. Fun, fun, fun!” His long term plans include starting a cooperative medical community with a focus on low-tech medicine for urban, low-income communities.
On health and cooperative living:
"Co-op living has really helped me explore who I am, and feel free to express that. They have also taught me the practical realities of living as a community versus as an individual. I think that many of the social and health problems our society faces today is a result of compartmentalizing community life and insulates individuals from the people around them."
Winse Hong
Winner of the Belva Brink Memorial Scholarship, awarded for a co-oper who shows a record of outstanding service to the USCA.
FROM: San Francisco and Newark
HOUSES: Hoyt
MEMBER SINCE: 2003
MAJORS: Molecular Cell Biology, emphasis on Genetics
Winse loves her co-op and it shows - she has served as Finance Manager, House Manager, Maintenance Manager, and is involved in more informal ways at Hoyt, such as starting a study group.
In the Fall, Winse will serve as Hoyt’s Maintenance Manager again, and is excited about enhancing and improving the house. She will gain invaluable experience this summer when she will be helping her father build a house from the ground up.
After leaving the co-ops, Winse would like to find a job and pay off all her student loans, and attend graduate school. She has many other plans in the works as well - she would would also like to travel, return to performing dance (Step, Indian, Filipino, Brazilian and Latin American Dances), become a pilot, start her own business, continue to work on her modeling portfolio, design and build her own house, and collect exotic cars. Phew!
Life lessons from the co-op:
"Living in this house has really shown me how much people can love and care about others. It has allowed me to really appreciate diversity and to work with different people from various backgrounds and situations. I was also able to share my services, my belongings, my time, any and everything with these women. I have become more considerate of other people and more independent in terms of living on my own."
Winse loves her co-op because...
“The love I feel from everybody! When I am sad, there is always someone there to hug and comfort me. When I am happy, there is always someone to share my joy. When I am lonely, I can just open my door, and women come rushing in to my room. There is a lot of love in this house, and I think it’s fantastic!”
Zoe Lake
Winner of the Harper Puziss Scholaship awarded for co-op involvement and academic achievement, and on the basis of need.
FROM: Berkeley, CA
HOUSES: Ridge
MEMBER SINCE: Fall 2004
MAJOR: Conservation Resource Studies
This summer Zoe will be working at The Watershed Project, a nonprofit located that works with communities to inform them about their watershed and how to keep it healthy. This fall Zoe will be House President and Co-Garden manager at Ridge.
Co-op education:
“I’ve made friends that I’ll have for decades to come. If I hadn’t lived in a co-op I never would have known I could run meetings for 40 people. Living here taught me more about getting to know people than anywhere else could. You learn and grow with everyone, you have a community that can never be replicated.”
Zoe loves her co-op because...
“I love the balance between quiet and socializing. I love the conversations that come up in the study room. Sometimes they’re about philosophy or politics and other times it’s about how badly Derek beat Amadeo in Ping Pong. The variety of ideas, eating habits, sleeping habits... We’re all bizarre but you learn to appreciate your quirks by seeing that everyone else has them too.”
Ben Sistrunk
Winner of the Bogie Bogart Beat Bucks in Aid, awarded to Juniors and Seniors on the basis of need.
FROM: Lawrence, Kansas and Chico, CA
HOUSE: Le Chateau, African American Theme House
MEMBER SINCE: 2002
MAJOR: Integrative biology, minor in Spanish
Ben has served the African American Theme House in several roles: as workshift manager, president and now as the house manager.
After finishing up school, Ben’s future plans include applying for optometry school in the Fall and becoming an extrememly good cook. “Eating good food elevates the soul like no other hedonistic pursuit.”
On co-op education...
“I have been exposed to a plethora of political
philosophies. I have lived with people of a wide range of ethnicities, sex/gender combinations, religions, backgrounds, and outlooks. I also am very much delighted with the ideal of communal living. It has great potential which is for the most part unrealized in the United States.”
Ben loves his co-op because...
“I love the freedom bestowed on USCA members. We are empowered to improve the organization by following directions of our own choosing. ‘We own it, we run it.’”
Chung Man Carmen Tsui
Winner of the USCA Alumni Association Grant awarded to a co-oper on the basis of need and co-op involvement.
FROM: Hongkong
HOUSE: Convent
MEMBER SINCE: Spring 2005
MAJOR: PhD student in Architecture
Chung Man left her native Hongkong for the first time this Spring to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on the urban development of modern China.
In the future, she plans to work in China both as an educator and as an urban designer in practice. She looks forward to promoting and educating about the protection of traditional environment.
On winning a co-op scholarship:
“Being able to study in UC Berkeley is an important step to realize my dream. However, I always worry about financing my studies. Luckily, I learned the USCA provides affordable accommodations to students like me.”
Why Chung Man loves her co-op:
“I am very happy to be able to live in the Convent, a co-op full of joy and warmth. The life in the Convent helps me to understand American culture - the food, the workshifts, the parties...but most importantly, gives me a taste of how co-opers help each other. My housemates are kind, smart, caring, helpful and forgiving - especially when I have difficulties in expressing myself in English!
Ming Zhang
Winner of the Bogie Bogart Bear Bucks in Aid, awarded to Juniors and Seniors on the basis of need.
FROM: Virginia & Maryland, originally from Nanjing, China
HOUSE: Cloyne, Rochdale
MEMBER SINCE: 2001
MAJOR: Integrative Biology
Ming loves to paint and is a coordinator for Art Club at UC Berkeley. He also submits his art to two local student publications and was a semi-finalist in the Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest for September 2004.
Ming’s summer plans include working in a lab with a UCB Herbarium Botanist. He will also be working as a curator in the Herbarium and help setup plant collection samples.
Ming worked in the University Health Services Health Worker Program from the Fall 2004 through Spring 2005. Ming hopes to graduate this fall and plans to join the Peace Corps.
Ming loves his co-op because...
The co-ops have taught me a lot about independence, individuality, participation and responsibility. I have met a wide range of people and personalities after living for so long in the co-ops. Overall, the exposure to real life through living in two co-ops has been invaluable.
Thanks to our generous alumni, USCA scholarships continue to grow. Because we designate the interest earned for scholarships, we rely upon donations to increase both the size of the endowment and the number of scholarships, so please send in your contribution today!
Please mail your check made out to the USCA and don't forget to indicate the appropriate scholarship fund. You may also donate online using your Visa or MasterCard.
USCA Alumni Association
2424 Ridge Road
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: (510) 848-1936 - Fax: (510) 848-2114
E-mail: alumni@usca.org