Sustain Our Future Foundation Awards $10,000 Scholarships to 12 HBCU Students in Honor of Environmental Leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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August 8, 2025
Washington, DC - Sustain Our Future Foundation proudly announces the recipients of its 2025 Sustainable Justice Scholarships, awarding $10,000 each to 12 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Each scholarship is named in honor of a distinguished environmental or sustainability leader whose legacy has helped shape the fight for climate action and community well-being.
These scholarships support the educational and leadership journeys of rising change-makers and serve as a tribute to the groundbreaking contributions of movement leaders, past and present, whose vision has laid the foundation for a just and sustainable future.
“By naming each scholarship after a leader who has moved the needle for community wellbeing and climate action, we are making a deliberate connection between legacy and leadership,” said Yinka N. Bode-George, Founder and CEO of Sustain Our Future Foundation. “We are honored to uplift both the students who are carrying this work forward, and the movement-builders who inspire them.”
The 2025 Sustainable Justice Honorees and Student Scholars Are:
Chandra Farley – honored through the scholarship awarded to Darriele French, Spelman College
Dr. Mildred McClain – honored through the scholarship awarded to Nailah Bombata, Clark Atlanta University
Hazel M. Johnson – honored through the scholarship awarded to Taylor Robinson, Chicago State University
Roishetta Ozane – honored through the scholarship awarded to Sanaa Antwine, Dillard University
Harriet Tubman – honored through the scholarship awarded to Rashid Farmer, Morgan State University
Samuel Green – honored through the scholarship awarded to Adeolu Banjo, Morgan State University
Dr. Meleny Thomas – honored through the scholarship awarded to Jolette Lima, Morgan State University
Brenda Wilson – honored through the scholarship awarded to Zairen Jackson, Bennett College
Omega Wilson – honored through the scholarship awarded to Naylah Maple, North Carolina A&T State University
LaTricea Adams – honored through the scholarship awarded to Ryanna Copeland, Tennessee State University
Yvette Arellano – honored through the scholarship awarded to Esther Aina, Texas Southern University
Congressman Raúl Grijalva - honored through the scholarship awarded to Elijah Jordan, Bowie State University
The Sustainable Justice Scholarships are part of Sustain Our Future Foundation’s broader effort to recognize and invest in emerging leaders who are advancing environmental and climate justice in their communities and fields of study. Scholars are selected based on academic excellence, commitment to sustainability, and a demonstrated vision for equity-centered leadership.
For more information about the Sustainable Justice HBCU Fellowship Program or to support Sustain Our Future Foundation’s mission, please visit sustainourfuture.org or contact Naadiya Hutchinson at naadiya@sustainourfuture.org.
About Sustain Our Future Foundation
Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF) is a national not-for-profit organization that collaborates with corporate sustainability teams to de-risk and deepen the impact of sustainable infrastructure projects by ensuring that local communities' priorities are part of the planning, siting, and development phases of these projects. Our goal is to raise the standard of sustainable development to promote economic development, community partnership, local self-determination, and environmental health for all communities.