Since 1990, the Children’s Defense Fund’s Beat the Odds® Scholarship and Leadership Program has recognized outstanding high school students who have overcome adversity to excel in school and as leaders in their respective communities.  These young people, who have endured such hardships as homelessness and abuse, display incredible self-determination and a drive toward achievement through the common thread of hard work, academic excellence, and service to their communities.

This program awards $55,000 in scholarships annually, and provides college preparation to deserving students in the Los Angeles area.  Our organization provides intensive support to over 30 current and nearly 30 former Beat the Odds scholars in varying stages of matriculation at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels.  Each student receives a $10,000 college scholarship and other support services that include ongoing mentoring, internship placements, leadership and job training, and general support from the Children’s Defense Fund-California, as well as college counseling, SAT prep, and a weeklong college tour provided by the Fulfillment Fund. Since 2000, approximately 90% of all Children’s Defense Fund-California’s Beat the Odds scholarship recipients have graduated from or are pursuing higher education. 

On December 1st, 2011, CDF-California celebrated five high school students from the Los Angeles area as part of the annual Beat the Odds awards ceremony. The stars came out to honor these young people and celebrate their achievements. View a photo slideshow of the event and watch the video biographies of this year’s recipients.

2011 Los Angeles Beat the Odds Honorees

John Jimenez, Narbonne High School
Harbor City, California

From an early age, John Jimenez exhibited incredible grace under fire. Following the birth of a brother with cerebral palsy, John’s family faced insurmountable medical expenses that financially devastated the family and eventually led to his parents’ divorce. When his father left the home, John became the “man of the house” and, in many ways, took on responsibilities of an individual twice his age. John’s mother struggled to find work as the family often survived, for days at a time, on nothing more than a single bag of potatoes.

During this time of great financial strain, John honed an entrepreneurial spirit that remains one of his greatest assets. John began selling bead bracelets at school and learned critical business skills that allowed him to become more self-reliant. When John’s mother stopped receiving unemployment benefits, the crafty high school student began work at a local Tae Kwon Do Dojo to help support his family. From this experience, John has learned discipline, control, and dedication—the very skills that have helped him maintain a 4.2 GPA and ranking of 4 out of 738 students in his junior class. As a junior at Narbonne High School, John takes several AP courses, and has been a service-oriented leader both in his school and in his community.

John’s life experiences have strengthened his resolve to attend a top tier business program where he will major in Business Management and minor in Marketing. John believes, “my family’s struggles fostered my ambitious attitude and goal oriented mindset…These experiences allowed me to see that anyone could achieve success, all one must do is beat the odds.”

Nancy Kannampuzha, Warren High School
Downey, California 

Described by those who know her as “resilient,” Nancy Kannampuzha has suffered unbelievable betrayal and abandonment; yet, she has emerged as a beacon of light and a champion for countless young people who have been silenced by physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Nancy was born and raised in India by extended family until the age of seven. After that time, she and a brother joined their biological parents in the United States and experienced the shock of entering a new and foreign culture. This reconciliation was not the happy ending that Nancy had hoped for, but the beginning of a home lifefraught with instances of domestic violence, physical, emotion, and sexual abuse.

Nancy suffered this abuse in silence and isolation until the age of 14 when her father was arrested for sexual abuse. Not only was Nancy left to deal with the physical and emotional scars of her early childhood, but the rejection of a mother who refused to believe her husband was capable of such atrocities. Soon after, Nancy was removed from her mother’s care, and has spent the remaining years of her childhood in the foster care system. Through all of this, Nancy remains “committed to serving others in the same situation,” and has a great interest in assisting young people whose experiences are compounded by cultural difference. Nancy currently serves as a volunteer for the South Asian Network and works to help others in the South Asian community put an end to abuse and family violence.

Britany Lewis, Antelope Valley High School
Lancaster, California

In the face of abandonment, homelessness, and physical abuse, Britany Lewis has stood tall against odds that have threatened to destroy her dreams. Britany never knew her father, and for the first six years of her life, lived in virtual
squalor with five siblings and a drug-addicted mother. At one point, the deplorable conditions in which she lived and the lack of parental guidance caused Britany to miss an entire year of school. At the age of six, Britany’s then nineteen-year-old sister was awarded custody of her young siblings. Ill prepared to care for her younger sisters and brothers, Brittany’s sister and her siblings were forced to live for over a year in a two-door Honda Prelude. Britany’s sister also began a destructive pattern of physical abuse toward her that would last for several years. Once, her sister dealt a devastating blow that left Britany unable to attend school for two days while she nursed a black eye.

The physical pain paled in comparison to the disappointment of tarnishing the perfect attendance record she had maintained from elementary to middle school. At age 16, Britany’s sister kicked her out the home and left her in the care of her sister’s grandparents. In this current home, Brittany has finally found the love, support, and guidance she needs and deserves.

Despite this tragic history, Britany has maintained a 3.94 GPA and is, according to her guidance counselor, “a proven force” on her high school campus. Britany serves as Associated Student Body President at Antelope Valley High School and is a vigilant community leader in programs such as the Youth Commission-City of Lancaster and the Teen Builders Community Service Club. Selected as a “Future Leader” by the Valley Press Newspaper, Brittany believes, “I overcame the things from my past because I refuse to let them hold me back. My plan is to continue to do my best in school and help others along the way.”

Caylin Moore, Verbum Dei High School
Los Angeles, California

At the age of six, Caylin Moore’s mother took the courageous step to leave a volatile home plagued by domestic violence. She raised Caylin and his two siblings as a single mother, entered and finished law school, and saved her children from a vicious cycle of abuse. Despite her triumphs, she and her young family still struggle with the residual effects of a difficult, and at times dangerous, domestic life. In 2009, Caylin’s father was convicted of the murder of a live-in girlfriend whom he shot at point-blank range. Caylin expresses with sadness, “I am sorry to say that I knew this would happen one day.” Though his mother’s mental and physical health struggles have led to great financial hardship, Caylin uses his mother as an example of strength and determination. Because of her influence on his life, Caylin believes “failure is not an option.”

Caylin has not only met his mother’s expectations for success, but exceeded them. He maintains a 3.4 GPA and is an outstanding three-sport scholar-athlete despite being diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia and Asthma. In 2010, Caylin was named Varsity Quarterback and captain of the Verbum Dei football team; competed in the CIF Track and Field Finals in the triple jump, and served as a swim instructor at the Hemingway Aquatic Center. Additionally, Caylin’s strong faith and commitment to service have encouraged him to participate as a member of the Verbum Dei Campus Ministry Leadership Team and serve as a volunteer for the Southern California Falcons Youth Football Program as a Certified Youth Football Coach. In spite of his challenges, Caylin says, “my options in life are not limited to my past, or by the choices of those in my past. I realize that my future is bright, and I am only limited by my dreams…my refusal to be a victim of my situation is the reason for my success.”

Jeannette Wright, King/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science
Los Angeles, California

Jeannette Wright is a young woman who understands the power of using one’s voice—both literally and figuratively. As the child of a deaf mother and a deaf and mute father, Jeannette has used her voice to help her parents communicate with the hearing and speaking world. As an interpreter and mediator, Jeannette has assumed adult responsibilities for much of her young life. At the tender age of eight, when a child should be carefree, Jeannette recalls the stress and humiliation of negotiating settlements with debt collectors and credit bureaus seeking payment from the family on past due accounts. Living on Social Security benefits and food stamps, Jeannette’s parents have struggled to provide for their daughter and have often gone hungry when resources are limited. Jeannette, however, has refused to succumb to her circumstances and has continuously risen above the impoverished conditions in which she lives. Jeannette concedes, “I was not only taught to persevere but I was also taught to acknowledge my blessings.”

Despite a difficult home life, Jeannette has excelled academically, ranking first in a class of four hundred students. Described by her counselor as “a brilliant student, innovative leader, and persistent hard worker,” Jeannette’s compassionate spirit and desire to be a voice for the vulnerable led her to found the Animal Rights Club as a ninth grade student. This year, the Animal Rights Club has committed to raising $1,000 for a local animal shelter. Jeannette believes her past has taught her to appreciate what she has and live life to the fullest. She’s proud to have been able to beat the odds.