The Coronado Democratic Club is proud to announce Ruby Dyre and Nirel Leoma Manalili of Southwestern College as this year’s recipients of the two $1,000 Malala Yousafzai Scholarships. This scholarship is named for Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient at age 17 and a model for the spirit of democratic values and ideals. Our two recipients also demonstrate this dedication and commitment to democratic principles.
Ruby Dyre writes that her goal is to be the first in her in family to complete 4-year degree followed by a career committed to providing access to psychiatric care and mental health support for individuals and families. Her passion is personal, growing up in a home without access to medical treatment and support. She is a strong woman and a survivor who sought medical treatment on her own. Living alone with no support, Ruby is active at Southwestern in the Associated Student Organization, is a coordinator of a women’s group, participates in the ACLU, in civil rights protests, and is a part of the LGBTQIA community. She explains that she recognizes the critical value of education to improve herself, her life, and to help families like hers that need psychiatric care and support. As a citizen she identifies both the privilege and responsibility that participation in our democracy is.
Nirel Leoma Manalili is a first generation Asian American whose goal is to become a mental health nurse practitioner. She explains that this interest stems from struggles with anxiety throughout her life. As Nirel notes, “Taking psychology and counseling classes in college has helped me to un-learn certain coping mechanisms and understand the complexities of mental health. My aspirations are to make mental health information and resources readily available for both teens and adults in the San Diego community in order to encourage our population to be productive and healthier as a whole.” Nirel participates in our democracy in political elections by precinct walking and phone banking and understands how critical the right to vote is, stating, “I learned from a young age that being involved in the political process is crucial for democracy.” When it comes to voting, she identifies that this means doing research and learning the facts from reputable sources.
The Coronado Democratic Club Scholarship Committee has selected two outstanding women who represent the future of our country’s democratic values.
