The nonprofit North County African American Women’s Association and North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union, are offering scholarships and financial literacy programming to qualified college-bound women of African-American descent.
This is the third year the two factions have partnered to help support women in San Diego’s North County region.
Four $2,500 NCAAWA/NICU scholarships are available to graduating high school seniors, current Regional Occupation Program students, those taking classes at a trade school and college and/or graduate students in Carlsbad, Escondido, Fallbrook, Oceanside, San Dieguito, San Marcos and Vista.
NICU officials say that special consideration will be given to students pursuing degrees in education.
President
North County African American Women’s Association
“We are so excited once again to partner with North Island Credit Union; their commitment to higher education is central to breaking generational poverty within our communities,” NCAAWA President Linda Simpkins Berry said.
Berry said that North Island Credit Union was among the first-time scholarship donors during COVID when NCAAWA was unable to hold its signature scholarship event in 2021, “thereby keeping up our 25-year legacy to support college-bound seniors and continuing college students.”
She said the group appreciated NICU’s additional support of the Oceanside-headquartered NCAAWA’s mentoring program for high school girls that “focuses on financial literacy in addition to leadership development, preparing them to make wise choices when it comes to debt and money management.”
California Credit Union President and CEO Steve O’Connell called NCAAWA “a tremendous resource in our community.”
CEO
North Island Credit Union
“We are honored to continue our partnership to support its valuable programs that inspire and empower young women in our community,” said O’Connell, who became CCU president in 2017 after nearly five years as President and CEO of NICU. “We look forward to helping make the educational dreams of these students come true, while also providing lifelong financial skills.”
The two organizations also are partnering to provide financial literacy training for upper-class high school girls in NCAAWA’s Global Ambassadors Mentoring Program.
That program empowers young women with leadership skills, understanding in-depth financial literacy and global issues that impact their social and career mobility. NICU is providing participants with interactive financial programs and mentoring to teach budgeting, money management, savings and practical financial life skills as well as other topics.
In addition to the NICU scholarships, NCAAWA is providing multiple scholarship programs to qualified North County students.
The NCAAWA Vision is to provide a support network through education, health awareness, and life skills programs for women and girls in North San Diego County. To date, NCAAWA has provided over $350,000 in scholarship awards and grants to help young women further their education.
Established in 1995, the North County African American Women’s Association is an all-inclusive volunteer organization with a mission to provide a support network through education, health awareness, and life skills programs for women and girls in North County to increase their self-sufficiency.
NCAAWA has provided more than $300,000 to young women and girls to further their education. The group supports its mission through a Women’s Conference for teens and adults; community activities; networking events and fundraising events, including the Author’s Garden Party and an annual Gentlemen’s Gourmet, at which the proceeds support NCAAWA’s annual Scholarship Awards.
Its “Sisters Soaring Joyously” 2023 Women’s Conference is set for March 11 at The Westin Carlsbad.
NCAAWA has developed a strong Board of Directors, with a multicultural membership of more than 70 members.
North Island Credit Union is a division of California Credit Union, a federally insured, state-chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public and private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of over $4 billion, CCU has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
Applications and more information about all NCAAWA scholarships can be found at ncaawa.org/scholarships. Online applications will be accepted through March 31.
North County African American Women’s Association
FOUNDED: 1995
CEO: Linda Simpkins Berry
HEADQUARTERS: Oceanside
WEBSITE: http://www.ncaawa.org
CONTACT: 760-978-6534
SOCIAL IMPACT: NCAAWA provides a support network through education, health awareness and life skills programs for women and girls in North County to increase their self-sufficiency
NOTABLE: NCAAWA initiated a pilot mentoring program at the King Middle School in Oceanside, with partial support of an incentive grant from the Staples Foundation. The vision for the mentoring program emerged as the foundation for “Becoming A Global Citizen.”
