– Scholarship Recipients –
[ WOMEN IN BUSINESS ]
2021 AWARDEE
Isabela Camargo is currently pursuing a master's degree in marketing and digital communication from Nebrija University in Madrid, Spain. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in construction management from Brigham Young University - Idaho and her specialization in Interior Design from Florence Institute of Design International in Florence, Italy. She has developed a passion for construction and design that lead her to open her own construction/design business in 2020. She aspires to create new opportunities for women in her homeland of Colombia. In her spare time, Isabela enjoys traveling, learning new languages, reading, and watching movies.
2020 AWARDEES
Maria Paula Trujillo is studying economics at South Colombian University, which is located in Neiva, Colombia. She describes herself as an easygoing person. She is very service-oriented, both toward people around her and toward animals. Since she was young, she has been surrounded by the examples of many great women, and this example is one that she tries to exemplify. In her free time, she enjoys coloring, painting, and crafting. Through her career, she would like to be able to empower and enable women who have not had the chance to pursue higher education.
Maria Paula Trujillo es estudiante de economia en la universidad surcolombiana ubicada en Neiva, Colombia. Se describe como una persona sencilla y servicial con las demas personas y los animales. Desde pequeña ha estado rodeada por ejemplo de muy buenas mujeres y es el ejemplo que le gusta reflejar ante los demas. En sus tiempos libres le gusta colorear, pintar y hacer manualidades. Por medio de su carrera, le gustaría lograr el poder brindarles un ingreso por el desarrollo de sus habilidades hacia las mujeres que no tienen mayor grado de estudio.
Maria Jose Almeida is an International Business student at El Bosque University in Bogotá-Colombia. She is double majoring in Business Administration and English because she feels this combination will best help her develop her business career. She has an Event Organization Certification from a national organization for career development called Sena. She also took a Leadership course in 2017 to develop her leadership and entrepreneurship skills through Sena. Maria Jose played basketball for two years on the Chía-Cundinamarca team. She has always been passionate about the arts, she plays guitar, and has danced since she was a child because Colombian art and culture are very important to her. In her spare time, she likes to read, watch movies, and spend time with family. She feels a tie to DaMaRo because of the importance it places on family and female empowerment in Business.
Maria Jose Almeida es estudiante de Negocios Internacionales en la Universidad El Bosque en Bogotá-Colombia. Ella está buscando hacer doble titulación con Administración de Empresas. Estudia y aprende inglés para así desarrollar mejor su carrera a la hora de negociar. Tiene un tecnico en Organizacion de Eventos en la entidad del Sena e hizo un curso de Liderazgo en el 2017 para desarrollar sus habilidades de liderazgo y emprendimiento. Maria Jose jugó baloncesto por dos años en el equipo representativo de Chía-Cundinamarca. Ha ella siempre le han apasionado las artes, toca guitarra hace más de 4 años y desde pequeña ha practicado danzas, todo esto para aprender la importancia del arte y la cultura en su país. En su tiempo libre le gusta leer, ver películas y pasar tiempo con su familia, vínculo que comparte con DaMaRo por la importancia que le dan a la familia y al empoderamiento femenino en el ámbito de los Negocios y la Administración.
2019 AWARDEES
Ariana Mitha is a senior at the University of Oregon pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Spanish. Ariana prides herself on her strong interpersonal skills, and she values compassion above all. She has held a variety of leadership roles in her sorority, as well as student government positions at the University of Oregon. She is a strategic marketer aspiring to give women of diversity a stronger voice at the business table. In her spare time, Ariana enjoys singing, attending musicals, and spending time with her family.
Donna Homayoun is an International Business Major at the University of Oregon. During the summer of 2019, she interned at Canary Marketing where she began to develop marketing and advertising skills under powerful female leadership. Donna’s mother is from China and her father is from Iran. She prides herself on her diverse background and cherishes time she gets to spend with her family. Now an Oregonian, she enjoys spending her spare time hiking, cooking, and traveling.
Qiannan (Jodie) Wan is an MBA candidate at Brigham Young University with a special interest in marketing. Jodie prides herself on her diverse educational, professional, and cultural background. She and her parents immigrated to Sydney, Australia from China when she was 15 years old. She appreciates the way her parents encouraged her to explore both eastern and western cultures, which has allowed her to gain a unique point of view. She earned her dual bachelor's degrees in Renewable Energy Engineering and Commerce in Finance at the University of New South Wales, Australia. During that time, she worked as an intern in the area of solar product supervision and inspection. Being one of the youngest Executive Ruby Directors in Asia Pacific at USANA Health Sciences, Jodie has led multiple teams with a network of over 1000 active customers and independent associates. Her lifelong mission is to create a better world for those in need.
Kacey Penrod is an Oregon native and a junior at the University of Oregon. She is pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a dual concentration in Marketing and Finance and a minor in Economics. All the while, she is employed at the Student Recreation Center on campus. She is a member of the Chi Omega Sorority and serves on its leadership board. After graduation, Kacey plans to pursue a career which combines her interests in marketing and finance. Kacey feels passionately about the goal of increasing the representation of women in business leadership and intends to be a part of this movement for years to come.
Lina Zheng is an MBA candidate at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business for the class of 2021. She is from the home of the Giant Panda, the Sichuan Province in China. She obtained her master’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Shanghai. After graduation, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a clinical research project manager for six years. In this role, she began to realize the importance of supply chain in a company, which helped her decide on her current endeavor. In her spare time, Lina enjoys hiking, watching movies, listening to music, and singing. As the responsible person in Mainland China for the charity “The Earthmen,” she is very enthusiastic about volunteering.
Natalie Hoens is a senior Business Administration major at the University of Oregon. She is pursuing a minor in Chinese and worked at a tech startup in China’s version of Silicon Valley during the summer of 2019. While in Shenzhen, she grew her skills in business and language, networked, and acted as a strong female role model to her two younger sisters. In her spare time, Natalie enjoys developing recipes for a cookbook that she is writing. She is also a member of the Chi Omega Sorority where she likes to spend time with her sorority sisters in the outdoors or while watching old movies. She has a strong tie to her family and friends and finds special meaning in Damaro for its empowerment of women and emphasis on family.
2018 AWARDEES
Jeniel Jacobson is an MBA candidate at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Business for the class of 2020. She graduated from BYU with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism. She also double minored in Business Management and Consumer Sciences. During college, Jeniel worked at BYU TV and was a cheerleader for four years. After graduating, Jeniel worked as a TV News Journalist at NBC, FOX, and ABC affiliates in Texas, Alabama, and Utah respectively. Jeniel plans to study marketing and eventually own her own business. Jeniel is passionate about supporting women in business, and is honored to represent the mission of Damaro.
Kristen Van De Graaff is passionate about learning. After graduating from BYU Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Social Science education and starting her career as a teacher, she quickly began serving in leadership positions and became involved in community programs. In 2017 Kristen was awarded Salem Junior High's "Teacher of the Year.” Through her experience in teacher leadership, she realized her strength to communicate articulately and to maximize potential through positive relationships. These experiences influenced her decision to seek graduate level schooling at BYU's MBA program. Kristen enjoys outdoor recreation, piano, and a variety of sports. She and her husband, Sean, enjoy cooking and exercising together, listening to audiobooks, playing pool, and spending time with family.
Whitney Waite is a California native who lives in Washington DC. During her time in Washington, she has worked in the U.S. Senate and currently works at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Senior Consultant. Whitney graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Public Health and plans to return to BYU this Fall for her MBA. Upon earning her MBA, Whitney hopes to be a role model for younger women and girls by serving as an example of a strong woman in business. In her spare time, Whitney enjoys reading, traveling, and running.