Yay!. The STEAM Bus has been inaugurated!

We've got great news to share! The STEAM bus project we undertook a while back was finally inaugurated by Smith County for students in summer classes! The project adoption had been delayed by Covid-19 and other setbacks, but we are happy to share pictures of this fun mobile classroom and lab at work this summer, providing Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education in Smith County School District, in TN. These are your donations hard at work and we are humbled by the generosity of all who donated! . It is truly our mission to promote STEM education in Smith County School District, where Yohan lived. Thank you to all of our supporters for making this possible and thank you Ms. Angel W. and Ms.Kristi W. of Smith County School District for making this happen!

“Yesterday the younger grades did a "fossil dig" and learned about archaeology. Today my students learned about vital signs and how to take blood pressure.” - Mandy Uhles @ Forks River Elementary School

2020 MTSU Scholarship recipients →

This year the award ceremony at MTSU was conducted remotely via you tube. Two Accounting students earned the Yohan Abraham Memorial Scholarship to continue their educations. They are:-

Daniel K. Diaz-McFarland             Junior in the Accounting Program at MTSU

Lillia G. Hendrickson                       Senior in the Accounting Program at MTSU

Lillia G. Hendrickson was last years Junior scholarship recipient. Both are also ROTC cadets at MTSU.  Click here for the brief student “thank you” video featuring a few grateful scholarship recipients. 

Jones College also created a video scholarship recognition that you can view by clicking here.  Each scholarship is announced along with the recipient’s name.  The Yohan Abraham Memorial Scholarships are announced around 9:42. The recipients also receive a printed certificate and Yohan’s bio.

 

Introducing Daniel Diaz-McFarland

The STEAM Bus project

We were making good progress on the STEAM bus before the pandemic hit. Presently schools are closed and all work at a standstill. However we were able to get the bus wrapped and ready. The interior wiring work is remaining. Hopefully life will get back to normal soon and we will have the bus ready for AY 2020-21

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2019 Yohan Abraham Foundation Newsletter

One more year has gone by since we lost our precious Yohan. However, we did not let this time pass without pushing a little harder and a little stronger on the work that Yohan Abraham foundation is involved in and the causes close to his heart. We report to you in our enclosed newsletter; our humble efforts and fruits of our labor for 2019.

Recently one of Yohan's supervisors remarked to me, when i thanked him for his ongoing support to our cause year after year: "Those of us who knew Yohan will never forget him". In that instant, I understood what service unto others means: Why our young men and women go and join our armed forces in service of their country and do great things for us. 

It is about soldiering on, to make right the injustices that have crept in to our world, to even the playing field so others get their fair share as we have. To never forget our countless blessings, our departed loved ones, our fellow citizens of this planet. This is how ordinary folks can achieve extraordinary results!.

Recipients of the 2019 Yohan Abraham memorial scholarship

For the academic year 2019-2020 we awarded two scholarships of five thousand each to a junior and senior in the accounting program at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University). The senior recipient was Areez Sadiki who was the recipient of the junior scholarship last year. She continued to impress her professors with her hard work and excellence leading them to reward her this year with the same scholarship. Our junior recipient this year is Lillia Hendrickson. She is a scholar in the accounting department and a cadet with the ROTC (Army). We are delighted the accounting department decided to award the scholarship to her. A $5,000 scholarship is one of the largest given to an MTSU student. Over 90%of MTSU students receive some sort of financial aid so an opportunity for this kind of help is not taken lightly.

The Department of Accounting awards several much smaller scholarships each year to applicants in February for the following academic year. We encourage all accounting majors to apply and try to reward each capable student. A committee of Department of Accounting faculty members review the applications looking for potential professional success, financial need and community service. For the Yohan Abraham Scholarship, the committee tries to find a military veteran that is involved in the community. If no veterans are in the pool, the committee looks for the next applicant who has made the most significant contribution in community service with the greatest academic achievements. We have also been fortunate to make two awards the past two years – Blake Hise in 2017 and Areez Sadiki in 2018. Both students are paying their way through college. Blake is now a graduate assistant in the Master of Accountancy program, and has accepted a tax position with Ernst & Young in the Fall of 2019. Areez is a highly recruited student who will soon be seeking internships.

Lillia Hendrickson with Elizabeth and Mandy from YAF

Lillia Hendrickson with Elizabeth and Mandy from YAF

Areez Sadiki with Cathy from YAF

Areez Sadiki with Cathy from YAF

For AY 2018-19 we have donated 75 laptops to the Smith County High school

We are happy to announce that for academic year 2018 -2019 we have procured and donated 75 notebooks to Smith County High school. Students in the classrooms of Ms. Christy Scudder, Mr. Dillon Reed, and Ms. Kristen Kyte have access to these Chromebooks during their fifth period classes in French, Theatre Arts, and Sociology. We would especially like to thank Ms. Melinda Spivey, Mr. Timothy Towns and Ms. Cathy McNulty for there leadership and efforts in bringing this project to fruition. The Smith County Insider newspaper carried the event.

Foundation is featured in Hiker Trash Podcast Episode 07 - Two Trails

Hi all: Stefans' story about his journey hiking the Appalachian Trail in Yohan's memory was recently featured in the Hiker Trash podcast. It is a very inspiring story according to the interviewer but can judge for yourselves. You must have about 2 hours to listen to the whole podcast. It is ideal when commuting or working in the garden etc. You may find the podcast in Apple iTunes  under "Hiker Trash 07 Two Trails" or in SoundCloud or click here. We hoping this helps our efforts to get the word out about the foundation.

2018 Recipient of the Yohan Abraham memorial scholarship at MTSU

This year we are very pleased to announce our YAF scholarship recipient is Areez Sadiki in the Accounting Program at the College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University. The scholarship was established by the Foundation to benefit a student or student-veteran who demonstrates a commitment to serving others (in school, in the community or at home), a strong work ethic, and leadership. One of our directors Cathy McNulty and Yohan's fiance Mandy Uhles attended on behalf of the foundation. We are very happy that Areez was selected, to quote Mandy "If Yohan had been here he would have picked her himself". The award was made at a scheduled event at the university on April 18th at the College of Business. We wish her the very best.