2021 Scholarship Winners!

Over the last 30 years, the CODA International Millie Brother Scholarship has awarded partial and full scholarships for higher education to children of deaf adults. In that time, the scholarship has expanded to include applicants from several dozen countries, with the award growing from $300 to $3,000 since 1990. 

The 2021 recipients of this scholarship have proven, like the many winners before them, that their futures are fueled by their upbringing as children of deaf adults. Their commitment to their education, their communities, and perhaps most importantly, their families is one to be celebrated – and we believe it is these things that will push them toward further success. 

Lamiya Cotton plans to study communications, with a focus on underrepresented and marginalized communities. It was an English class, after all, that led her to be more open, understanding and proud of her own unique background as a child of deaf adults. 

Rebecca Ejom wants to offer on-the-go veterinary services to farmers who don’t normally have access to professional care for their animals in Ghana – including deaf farmers like her father, who raised her on the campus of the local school for the deaf. 

Mantombi Ndlovu hopes to continue exploring her identity as a child of deaf adults, by helping others explore theirs – using her interest in social work and interpreting to move toward her dream of partnering with a nonprofit to work with Coda youth. 

Saul Ordaz was motivated into a career in psychology by his family’s background. He grew up with two deaf immigrant parents and three siblings with learning disabilities. It was their tenacity and commitment to education that fueled his own. 

Chloe Rodriguez-McCallister hopes to pursue equity as a pharmacist who understands the importance of clear communication with deaf clients, opening access to the efficient healthcare her parents sometimes lack. 

And Oranit Steven is continuing his family’s tradition of advocating for the betterment of the lives of deaf people in Uganda by pursuing a career in information technology. He hopes to explore technology innovations that can close communication gaps among deaf and hearing communities. 

We congratulate them on this accomplishment and hope you will join us by reading their expanded stories linked here.