Spirit of social justice scholarship lives on When Gwendolyn Hooker was a student at Kalamazoo
Since 1993, the Duane Roberts Scholarship has been
Central High School, she dreamed of attending Western
awarded annually to Kalamazoo Public School seniors and
Michigan University.
graduates who show a commitment to social justice and
“I lived on the Eastside and I would always hear the band playing,” she said. “I told myself, I want to go there.” The ability to earn scholarships as an adult is one of many factors that brought her to where she is today: a dedicated community leader nearing completion of a degree from her dream school.
community service. Roberts was known for his community activism. He was also a Kalamazoo Public Schools graduate and member of the KPS Board of Education. Gwendolyn is one of many Duane Roberts Scholarship recipients that are influential leaders in our community. She is executive director of Helping People Exceed thru Navigation (H.O.P.E thru Navigation) and co-founder of Justice Against Bullying at School (JABS).
4 KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SPRING 2022