NEW SCHOLARSHIP HONORS IMMIGRANT PARENT
In 2015-16, a San Diego-based travel journalist who believes that training young peacebuilders is critically important launched The Katherine Francola Peace Scholarship at the Kroc School. The scholarship is named for her mother, the daughter of Italian immigrants to the United States, and was created to support young women who face financial challenges and who have demonstrated capacity to become peacebuilders in their communities or anywhere in the world.
of formal education, Francola became a voracious reader and easily carried on conversations with college graduates, says her daughter. When the donor met Brittney Ochira, the first recipient of the Katherine Francola Peace Scholarship,Brittney said she cried with joy upon receiving the scholarship letter. “And I cried when I read your application,” the donor replied, “because I knew I’d found the perfect recipient for the inaugural Katherine Francola Peace Scholarship. Your determination to succeed reminds me so much of my mother.”
Education was a luxury Katherine Francola couldn't afford, so she went to work instead of high school in order to help put food on the family table. However, she was determined to "make something better of herself," so she went to school at night and eventually landed an office job, where she met co-workers who lived in middle-class suburbs. Challenged by her lack
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