Education

Meet the Ramsay HS student, en route to Yale, who earned more than $2M in scholarships

THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES — Ramsay High School senior Jillian Jolly, 18, has dreamed of attending Yale University since she was in kindergarten.“ I always heard that Yale was the school where smart people went. It was the top school, and I wanted to be there,’’ she said. Thirteen years later, her dream has become a reality: She has accepted a full-ride, four-year scholarship worth nearly $300,000.

Published

7 years ago

May 4, 2019

Oakland Post

By Erica Wright

Ramsay High School senior Jillian Jolly, 18, has dreamed of attending Yale University since she was in kindergarten.

“I always heard that Yale was the school where smart people went. It was the top school, and I wanted to be there,’’ she said.

Thirteen years later, her dream has become a reality: She has accepted a full-ride, four-year scholarship worth nearly $300,000.

“It’s not just a big accomplishment for me, it’s a win for the whole community,’’ said Jillian, who’s ranked No. 4 at Ramsay High School with a 4.4 GPA. “I don’t look at it as, ‘Jillian got into Yale.’ I look at it as everyone benefits from it.’’

On Wednesday, Birmingham City Schools (BCS) Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring, along with staff and board members recognized Ramsay High School students like Jillian and staff members for being named among the Top 25 High Schools in Alabama by US News and World Report on Wednesday, May 1.

Among The Best

Ramsay was ranked No. 11 among some of the best schools in the state.

“One of the most exciting things I can do as superintendent is celebrate the accomplishments of our scholars and I say this everywhere I go, whether I see you in public or whether I see you at the park or in the school hallways or run into you at the mall, our core business is about teaching and learning . . . so whenever there is an opportunity where we can celebrate our scholars and the staff who are invested in educating them, that’s a powerful day,” said Herring.

Out of the 17,245 high schools in the U.S., Ramsay ranks in the top 6 percent, Herring said.

“I want to be very clear that this celebration is about what you give to Ramsay, what you provide in your intellectual property, what you do in your ability to make the right decisions,” said Herring, during the celebration.

Ramsay’s principal, Cassandra F. Fells said she is proud of her students and her staff and the recognition of their hard work.

“I always knew that Ramsay was top notch and I’m so thankful to be a part of your history and know that I love you and I expect great things from you,” she said.

At the ceremony, Jillian, with her mother, Jacqueline Harrell, announced that she would be attending Yale. Mother and daughter both wore shirts with the name of the Ivy League institution while Jillian’s classmates, teachers, school administrators and some family members applauded.

Wasn’t Easy

But getting where is wasn’t easy for Jillian.

Some people doubted her ability, telling her that only 5 percent of applicants are accepted into Yale, that her ACT score was too low or that her school did not have the resources as other students accepted into Yale. It was hard for Jillian to hear people say she had a “slim chance’’ of being accepted, or Yale was a “reach school’’ for her. Doubt crept in, and she almost didn’t apply. But she eventually reminded herself she was made for Yale. She had to at least try.

Following the recommendation of her 11th grade language arts teacher at Ramsay, she applied to College Choice Foundation. The Alabama-based nonprofit, which is funded by donations, was created to help high-achieving and academically talented students from low-income families apply for college and find their best and most affordable college fit.

Among other things, it helped Jillian identify colleges, covered costs for multiple college visits, offered ACT prep classes, helped her complete financial aid applications, prepped her for college scholarship interviews, helped her with her resume, reviewed her college application essays, paid for college application fees, and offered weekly one-on-one mentoring. Additionally, College Choice Foundation will continue to provide guidance to Jillian during her time at Yale and even graduate school.

$2.3 million in scholarships

Not only did Yale accept her and offer her a full scholarship, but so did most of her 11 other colleges. Collectively, she has amassed more than $2.3 million in scholarship offers from the 12 colleges, including Wake Forest University, Howard University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Tuskegee University and George Washington University.

Jillian’s mother said she is thankful and is happy with the choice her daughter has made.

“This is a leap of faith for her because Connecticut is over 15 hours away and she’s never visited that part of the country before so it’s going to be a lot of new beginnings for her and for our family but I’m just happy for her because she’s worked so hard her entire school career and just to see her hard work pay off, I’m just excited for her,” said Harrell.

Jillian is the second Ramsay High student in the last two years to get accepted into Yale. In 2018, Ramsay student Brooklin Ballard received a full-ride scholarship.

Volunteer

In her free time, Jillian has volunteered to address youth crime in Birmingham, tutored students, served as a youth leader at church and collected canned goods for the needy. “I guess I’m a voice for the voiceless,’’ she said.

This fall, Jillian plans to major in psychology and later become a surgeon. “I just have this desire to help people and fix things,’’ she said. “I’d also like to start my own nonprofit that helps inner city kids navigate the college application process and make students more aware of the options that they have.’’

She has also impressed local city leaders.

“I’m proud of her,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “Any time you have a Birmingham graduate who is a hard worker and is motivated and supported by family, community and her school, the Mayor’s Office and the City of Birmingham are happy to support her, too. She already has a local network of Yale graduates cheering for her, and she hasn’t even walked across the graduation stage yet. What she is doing has inspired me, and I hope she will inspire others.’’

To see Jillian’s Kiwanis Club video interview, which starts at the 4:32 mark, please visit: https://bit.ly/2IRMTji.

College Choice Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2019/2020 school year. The deadline to apply is May 24, 2019. Applicants must be a rising junior or senior currently enrolled in a Birmingham or a Homewood public city school. Applicants must meet several qualifications, including having at least a 3.5 GPA. For more information, please visit www.collegechoicefoundation.org.

Chanda Temple of the City of Birmingham Public Information Office contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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Desmond Gumbs — Visionary Founder, Mentor, and Builder of Opportunity

Gumbs’ coaching and leadership journey spans from Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland High School, Stellar Prep High School. Over the decades, hundreds of his students have gone on to college, earning academic and athletic scholarships and developing life skills that extend well beyond sports.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

NCAA football history was made this year when Head Coach from Mississippi Valley State, Terrell Buckley and Head Coach Desmond Gumbs both had starting kickers that were Women. This picture was taken after the game. Courtesy photo.

Special to the Post

For more than 25 years, Desmond Gumbs has been a cornerstone of Bay Area education and athletics — not simply as a coach, but as a mentor, founder, and architect of opportunity. While recent media narratives have focused narrowly on challenges, they fail to capture the far more important truth: Gumbs’ life’s work has been dedicated to building pathways to college, character, and long-term success for hundreds of young people.

A Career Defined by Impact

One of his most enduring contributions is his role as founder of Stellar Prep High School, a non-traditional, mission-driven institution created to serve students who needed additional structure, belief, and opportunity. Through Stellar Prep numerous students have advanced to college — many with scholarships — demonstrating Gumbs’ deep commitment to education as the foundation for athletic and personal success.

NCAA football history was made this year when Head Coach from
Mississippi Valley State, Terrell Buckley and Head Coach Desmond
Gumbs both had starting kickers that were women. This picture was
taken after the game.

A Personal Testament to the Mission: Addison Gumbs

Perhaps no example better reflects Desmond Gumbs’ philosophy than the journey of his son, Addison Gumbs. Addison became an Army All-American, one of the highest honors in high school football — and notably, the last Army All-Americans produced by the Bay Area, alongside Najee Harris.

Both young men went on to compete at the highest levels of college football — Addison Gumbs at the University of Oklahoma, and Najee Harris at the University of Alabama — representing the Bay Area on a national level.

Building Lincoln University Athletics From the Ground Up

In 2021, Gumbs accepted one of the most difficult challenges in college athletics: launching an entire athletics department at Lincoln University in Oakland from scratch. With no established infrastructure, limited facilities, and eventually the loss of key financial aid resources, he nonetheless built opportunities where none existed.

Under his leadership, Lincoln University introduced:

Football
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Men’s and Women’s Soccer

Operating as an independent program with no capital and no conference safety net, Gumbs was forced to innovate — finding ways to sustain teams, schedule competition, and keep student-athletes enrolled and progressing toward degrees. The work was never about comfort; it was about access.

Voices That Reflect His Impact

Desmond Gumbs’ philosophy has been consistently reflected in his own published words:

“if you have an idea, you’re 75% there the remaining 25% is actually doing it.”
“This generation doesn’t respect the title — they respect the person.”
“Greatness is a habit, not a moment.”

Former players and community members have echoed similar sentiments in public commentary, crediting Gumbs with teaching them leadership, accountability, confidence, and belief in themselves — lessons that outlast any single season.

Context Matters More Than Headlines

Recent articles critical of Lincoln University athletics focus on logistical and financial hardships while ignoring the reality of building a new program with limited resources in one of the most expensive regions in the country. Such narratives are ultimately harmful and incomplete, failing to recognize the courage it takes to create opportunity instead of walking away when conditions are difficult.

The real story is not about early struggles — it is about vision, resilience, and service.

A Legacy That Endures

From founding Stellar PREP High School, to sending hundreds of students to college, to producing elite athletes like Addison Gumbs, to launching Lincoln University athletics, Desmond Gumbs’ legacy is one of belief in young people and relentless commitment to opportunity.

His work cannot be reduced to headlines or records. It lives on in degrees earned, scholarships secured, leaders developed, and futures changed — across the Bay Area and beyond.

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Oakland School Board Grapples with Potential $100 Million Shortfall Next Year

The school board approved Superintendent Denise Saddler’s plan for major cuts to schools and the district office, but they are still trying to avoid outside pressure to close flatland schools.

Published

4 weeks ago

December 14, 2025

Oakland Post

OUSD Supt. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education is continuing to grapple with a massive $100 million shortfall next year, which represents about 20% of the district’s general fund budget.

The school board approved Superintendent Denise Saddler’s plan for major cuts to schools and the district office, but they are still trying to avoid outside pressure to close flatland schools.

Without cuts, OUSD is under threat of being taken over by the state. The district only emerged from state receivership in July after 22 years.

“We want to make sure the cuts are away from the kids,” said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, president of the Oakland Education Association, the teachers’ union. “There are too many things that are important and critical to instruction, to protecting our most vulnerable kids, to safety.”

The school district has been considering different scenarios for budget cuts proposed by the superintendent, including athletics, libraries, clubs, teacher programs, and school security.

The plan approved at Wednesday’s board meeting, which is not yet finalized, is estimated to save around $103 million.

Staff is now looking at decreasing central office staff and cutting extra-curricular budgets, such as for sports and library services. It will also review contracts for outside consultants, limiting classroom supplies and examine the possibility of school closures, which is a popular proposal among state and county officials and privatizers though after decades of Oakland school closures, has been shown to save little if any money.

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How Charles R. Drew University Navigated More Than $20 Million in Fed Cuts – Still Prioritizing Students and Community Health

Named after the pioneering physician Dr. Charles R. Drew, famous for his work in blood preservation, CDU’s mission is to cultivate “diverse health professional leaders dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through education, research, clinical service, and, above all, community engagement.”

Published

2 months ago

November 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Photo Caption: The campus of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in Los Angeles. CBM photo by Max Elramsisy.

Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media

Earlier this year, when the federal government slashed more than $20 million in grants to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), the leadership of California’s only historically Black medical school scrambled to stabilize its finances — while protecting its staff and students.

The school is widely recognized as a vital pipeline for Black doctors and other health professionals throughout California.

Dr. David Carlisle (center), President of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), with two of the university’s students. Photo Courtesy of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Dr. Jose Torres-Ruiz, CDU’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, said the university—designated as a Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI)—was notified in early March 2025 that most of its major grants, including the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) award, known at CDU as the “Accelerating Excellence in Translational Science” (AXIS Grant), would be terminated. Initially renewed, the grant was later revoked because its language did not align with the current federal administration’s priorities.

The AXIS Grant provides $4.5 million per year for five years through the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. CDU quickly reallocated other funds to protect its scientists, staff, and technicians, though some personnel losses were unavoidable.

“We didn’t want to fire them because these people have expertise that takes years to gain,” Torres-Ruiz said.

The grant is crucial, he added, funding research in cancer, diabetes, and metabolic diseases that affect the Willowbrook community in South Los Angeles, training the next generation of scientists, and supporting community outreach.

Programs at the school, including its youth and teen mentoring programs reach beyond the walls of the university, impacting the lives and quality of health care of people in the surrounding community, one of the most underserved areas in Los Angeles County.

Confronted with the harsh reality of funding cuts, the university’s leadership made an early, strategic choice to honor its foundational commitment and prioritize its students. Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, dean of CDU’s College of Medicine, highlighted the school’s deliberate focus on admitting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds — many of whom are Pell Grant recipients and graduates of public high schools.

“We are staying true to our mission, finding creative ways to prioritize what’s most important,” she said. “I’m optimistic because of our students—they are dedicated and committed to service.”

In addition, the $2 million-per-year John Lewis NIMHD Research Endowment Program, intended to strengthen CDU’s research infrastructure, was terminated with three years remaining after a February 2025 freeze on nearly all federal grants for public health, education, and infrastructure projects.

Following an appeal, CDU learned in June that the RCMI grant had been fully reinstated, along with all but eight smaller grants. The university’s next priority is restoring the John Lewis Endowment.

“We are working with NIH staff to adjust the language. Certain words like ‘diversity’ and ‘equity,’ which are core values of our institution, are now under scrutiny,” Torres-Ruiz explained.

CDU has also expanded funding sources by targeting foundations and private donors. “This may happen again. We cannot rely solely on federal agencies,” Torres-Ruiz said, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with politicians and private partners.

Prothrow Stith echoed Ruiz’s perspective on cultivating multiple funding sources. “Building bridges with private foundations helps, but it doesn’t erase the disruption,” she said.

Many students rely on federal loans, CDU leaders say. Those loans are now capped at $150,000. So, most medical students graduate with $300,000–$350,000 in debt when accounting for tuition and living expenses.

To lower the burden on students, CDU is exploring options to make education more affordable, including overlapping school years to reduce annual costs.

Students like Isaiah Hoffman and Bailey Moore epitomize CDU’s values.

Hoffman, an aspiring orthopedic surgeon from Inglewood, credits Drew for inspiring his career choice. Out of 12 medical school acceptances, he chose CDU to give back to his community and continue Drew’s legacy. Hoffman also founded H.O.M.I.E.S. Inc., a nonprofit pairing Black K–12 students with mentors to support academic and personal growth.

Moore, 23, from Southeast Washington, D.C., pursued CDU to address maternal health disparities she observed in her own community – an underserved area of the nation’s capital city. “CDU pours into you. It emphasizes service, and I hope for a world without health disparities,” she said. “Drew may be small, but Drew is mighty. It was created out of necessity to save lives and empower communities.”

CDU President and CEO Dr. David Carlisle acknowledged during the Aug. 28 “State of the University” that the institution faces ongoing challenges. Political threats and grant disruptions contributed to a sizable unrestricted budget deficit, despite achievements over the past year.

Successful appeals and alternative sources of funding, led by Vice Provost Dr. Ali Andallibi, have now restored all the monies previously lost in research funding, he said.

Carlisle expressed gratitude to L.A. Care Health Plan and Sutter Health for providing multimillion-dollar scholarships and highlighted that CDU would welcome approximately 1,050 incoming students—near its highest enrollment ever. “I’m deeply grateful for the resolve, diligence, and unwavering commitment of everyone here, even when the path is not easy,” he said.

At the gathering, Carlisle referred to the sounds of ambulances passing by with blaring sirens as- the “music of healthcare,” while students and the school’s leadership attending expressed resilience in their speeches and conversations. The activities of the day captured the institution’s focus on education, service and advancing health care across disadvantaged communities in California – and beyond.

Video Report: How Charles Drew Stayed Strong Amid Federal Funding Cuts