ANNOUNCING THE THIRD CHILDRESS FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
At the close of the 2023-2024 school year, the committee of The Josh Childress Foundation Scholarship Fund announced college scholarships of up to $10,000 to five outstanding graduating students at Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California. These scholarships aim to recognize student athletes and support their college education.
For the coming 2024-2025 academic year, the Josh Childress Scholarship recipients are: (pictured from left to right with Josh Childress) Bella Ochoa, Grace Cummins, Stella Lynch, Harshpreet Kaur and Tyzer Handy.
Bella Ochoa – Bella Ochoa played softball during her time at Mayfair High School and is pursuing a career in nursing at Tennessee Tech University.
Being a student-athlete has prepared me for these next steps in my life. I have learned time-management, dedication, and perseverance through my time as a student-athlete which are crucial skills for my future career. Being a student- athlete is something that I will forever be grateful for. It is more than just the accolades and accomplishments we earn along the way. – Bella Ochoa
Grace Cummins – Grace Cummins played softball at Mayfair High School and is heading to Chapman University to become a pediatric orthopedic specialist, where she will continue her softball career.
Another thing I have learned from being a working student athlete is that failure doesn’t define you, but how you recover from it does. Softball is a sport of failure and it is so rare to keep every single hitter from hitting during a game. One person has to fail for the other to succeed. – Grace Cummins
Stella Lynch – Stella Lynch ran track and field at Mayfair High School and is heading to UC Irvine to pursue a political science degree in hopes of pursuing Law.
For me, being an athlete is all about delayed gratification, and resisting immediate temptations to reach future athletic goals. As a runner, I constantly had to choose between doing what was easy and what was necessary. I learned that what makes me happy is reaching new personal bests, not just athletically but also as a teammate and community member. – Stella Lynch
Harshpreet Kaur – Harshpreet Kaur played Volleyball at Mayfair High School and is heading to UCLA to pursue a political science degree in hopes of pursuing Law.
As the first woman in my family’s history to play high school sports, I am grateful to have the opportunity to challenge traditional Indian stereotypes where women are often criticized for having bold and outgoing qualities. Through example, I have proven that women, especially those ostracized for their extroverted nature, have a place in athletics. – Harshpreet Kaur
Tyzer Handy – Tyzer Handy played baseball at Mayfair High School and is heading to Cal Poly Pomona to pursue a career as a Civil Engineer. He will also intern with Landspire Group as he wants to get into RE investment.
Aside from putting in extra work and making sacrifices, I have learned key lessons being a student athlete that will take me far in life. Aside from learning leadership, and how to work well with others, the most important lesson I learned was the skill of thinking and problem solving. – Tyzer Handy
“The Josh Childress Foundation has a strong commitment to improving the lives of youth. Through family, my commitment to education and athletics, I was able to live out my dreams and create new opportunities. A child cannot help the circumstances into which they are born, but a community can help uplift and encourage a child to become the best version of themselves. I want students to know that anything is possible and I believe that I have a civic and social responsibility to utilize my resources and influence to make the world a better place for the youth. The Josh Childress Foundation Scholarship was created to empower Mayfair High School student athletes to continue to strive for excellence on and off the court or field.” – Josh Childress
