Our Scholars - Juanita James Memorial Scholarship Foundation

1998-2001 | 2002-2005 | 2006-2009 | 2010 | Current Year Winners | Full List

Le-Aisha Meyers is one of the four newest members of the JJMSF family. She lived in the Mitchel Houses in the South Bronx for about thirteen years while she went to Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem from grades seven to twelve. Throughout her years in high school she managed to stay on top of her studies intending to make her parents, as well as herself proud. While struggling to grow up in Harlem and The Bronx, Le-Aisha stayed focused and maintained her positive outlook on life knowing in order to get where she wanted to go she had to work hard. During the summer of 2009 she was the only female out of eight other male recipients to participate in an internship that related to their potential field of study in which Le-Aisha interned in the Harlem Branch of City National Bank. During her High School years she also volunteered to tutor first and second graders to help improve their reading skills.

Inspired, Le-Aisha now attends Lehman College majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management and Accounting. She will also be minoring in Women's Studies as she is interested in starting an organization for mentoring women on having confidence and elevating in society. Le-Aisha is currently working in retail and she hopes to reach her highest potential in the business field and one day to be become an educator in the New York City public High Schools.

Alma Osorio, '10
St. Mary's Houses

Alma Osorio was born in Brooklyn to Milagros and Alberto Osorio. She was raised in St. Mary's Housing Projects in the Bronx. At a young age her father passed away from liver cancer leaving her mother a young widow with four children. Despite the hardships that followed her father's death, Alma continued to pursue her life's goals. She worked hard in school so that could grow up and buy a mansion for her mother. Her biggest desire was always to make her mother proud.

At the age of 12, Alma began to develop as a young artist. She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts where she majored in Technical Theatre. At LaGuardia, she constructed costumes for countless shows and was credited as the assistant designer for two major productions. At the age of 16, she flew to Uganda, Africa to direct a short film that was soon to premiere on the Sundance Channel and BET. She has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Variety Magazine, PBS, and BET for her achievements in film. Currently, Alma is a freshman at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts studying film and television production. She continues to work hard to defy the negative stereotypes that are associated with kids raised in the projects. Her focus remains on making her mother proud.

Alma continues to thank God for every opportunity she has been blessed with. She is ready for her life to unfold before her.

Jessica Rosario, '10
St. Mary's Houses

Jessica Rosario was born to Dominican parents. Her mother became a single parent when Jessica was one year old, so her mother had to struggle and work hard in order to provide for Jessica. With a Spanish speaking parent Jessica only knew Spanish. So when she entered elementary school it was very hard for her to make friends. However, this did not stop Jessica from doing well in school and learning how to speak English. When her younger brother developed a skin disease called Vitiligo, Jessica became determined to get into the medical field and study Dermatology. Her brother was her biggest motivation along with her mother.

Along with Jessica's desire for medicine and helping people, she also has a passion for singing and music. Jessica has performed in numerous school shows and outside events. She enjoys writing and performing her own music and has had the opportunity to record in studio and meet famous artists. Jessica even earned a scholarship for singing and performance from a program called College Preparation Leadership Program (CPLP).

Jessica hopes that she will get into the medical field and devote her life in helping others. Her mother has been her support system and she thanks her for always encouraging her to devote 110% in everything she does.

Jessica's favorite quote is "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best. "-Tim Duncan

Jairo Sosa, '10
Butler Houses

Jairo Sosa was born to a Dominican mother and father and has a total of five siblings. He is an artist whose artistic influences include Bruce W Timm, Brian Bolland, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, Alex Ross, Fab 5 Freddy, and Mr. Kanye West. Jairo's capabilities as an artist are Abstract Art, Disruption of Space, Color Sensitivity, Mark Marking, and Ink/Fine detail Drawings. His career objectives are to graduate from SVA, Participate in the Whitney Museum Biennial, draw an album cover for Kanye West, to be featured in Time Magazine's Most Influential and to win an Oscar for best art direction in a film.

Jairo's accomplishments as an artist include gaining acceptance to the Rhode Island School of Design Summer Pre-College Program, Gold medalist in the 2008 New York City ACT-SO competition in Drawing, Silver medalist in the 2010 New York City ACT-SO competition in Drawing, Bronze medalist in the 2010 New York City ACT-SO competition in Painting, gaining acceptance to the Whitney Museum of American Art Youth Insights Internship AIR and Summer Intensive program and contributing album artwork for Larger Than Life productions artist JFK.

Jairo's favorite quotes are "No artist is born brilliant", "Time ripens all things" and "Success is never blamed".