Lauren Estes-Velez

Hartselle Enquirer

Each year, Daikin America, Inc., a Decatur business that partners with Morgan County, Hartselle City and Decatur City schools, provides minority scholarships to deserving individuals from the community.

Daikin Community Relations and General Affairs Manager Forrest Keith said he feels that their goal is to try and make a small impact in the surrounding community by helping current college students, or soon to be enrolled college students by financially assisting in their future educations.

“We see this as an investment in our community,” Keith said. “These are all great students who are studying and working hard to try and change their circumstances for the better, and this is another way Daikin gives back to the local community.”

Keith provided a list of the 2018 scholarship recipients of Daikin’s minority scholarships. Dy-Kerius Allen, a UNA freshman and business major with a 3.4 GPA for a $1000 scholarship. Shemiah Greene received a $1500 scholarship; She attends Austin High School with a current GPA of 4.1 and plans to major in neuroscience & music.
Ruben Noyola-Barajas received a $1500 and attends Austin High School with a current- GPA of 3.9 and plans to major in engineering. Diamond Robinson received a $2000 scholarship and is a senior at U.A.B with a 3.2 GPA. D’Andria Sales also received a $2000 scholarship and is a freshman at Alabama State. She is a double major in biology and Physical Therapist and her GPA is 3.1. Erika Roman received a $2000 and is a freshman at Snead State. She is a business major with a 4.0 GPA.
Macary Humphrey received a $2000 scholarship and is a sophomore at Gadsden State. Macary will graduate in August of 2018 with an Associates Degree in Science and Math with a GPA of a 3.5 and also plans to attend law school.
Aliayah Coleman received a $2,000 scholarship and attends Austin High School with a 3.9 GPA. She plans to go to the University of Alabama and major in theater and accounting.
Adriann Wray received a $3000 scholarship and is a sophomore at Tuskegee University. She is majoring in Psychology and has a 3.4 GPA. She plans to go to medical school and be a psychiatrist.
Jelecia Patterson received a $3000 and is a sophomore at U.A.B. She is majoring in Spanish with a minor in Chemistry and has a 3.85 GPA. She plans to attend medical school and become a pediatric surgeon.

The winners were announced at the MLK Unity Breakfast in Decatur on January 15, 2018.

The criteria to be eligible to win a Daikin Minority Scholarship includes: being a U.S. Citizen, a resident of Morgan County, Alabama, of minority classification, in true and genuine need of funds in order to continue education, enrolled (or will enroll at the beginning of the next semester term) as a full-time undergraduate college student, and   must maintain a grade point average to be a student in good standing, not on probation.

According to Keith, the selection committee includes three members from Daikin and three members from the community.