2023 CYS Scholarship Award Winners
We are proud to offer scholarships for graduating high school seniors who have been CYS program alumni as they go off to college. We are honored to have been part of their journey so far, and wish for their continued success.
Kailyn Beaver
"CYS is a part of who I am today and has played a vital role in my development and growth in my cultural values. It has been an amazing journey, and those who have been lucky enough to be part of CYS and the Japanese community gain far more than they ever could give back, yet leave with a new understanding of the wonderful culture that is important to be carried on to our future generations."
College: Santa Clara University
Major: Marketing
Kai Iwamoto
"When I first joined CYS in elementary school, I began to understand that this organization was not just about teaching the fundamentals of sports. It had a much greater purpose. It was about creating a support system, sharing cultural values, connecting with others (both adults and my peers), and raising my awareness of what it meant to be Japanese American."
College: UC Riverside
Major: Public Policy and Business Administration
Rachel Lee
"CYS has allowed me to explore not only my own cultural heritage, but the vast culture of others. The emphasis on tradition and communal values has helped me recognize other cultures and appreciate diversity more. Ultimately, the CYS organization has taught me many lessons – the importance of hard-work, the pride of helping the community, the connectedness that comes with sharing culture, and the value of kindness – all things that I will hold close to me wherever life takes me".
College: University of California, Berkeley
Major: Material Science and Engineering
Kaylee Lopez
"Through this organization, I have learned more about my culture and how all of our different backgrounds come together to form one strong Asian community. CYS will forever be the place where I found comfortability in my identity and became proud of my ancestral roots. I garnered a better understanding of how unique yet similar people can truly be."
College: Santa Clara University
Major: Child Studies, pursuing a career in elementary education
Alexis Nishimura
“From CYS, I have gained valuable skills and knowledge that will prepare me for the future to come; this organization has imbued in me a mindset by which my faults and weaknesses do not define me, but rather, the hardships I face provide me with the opportunity to become a better athlete and person than I was before.”
College: Santa Clara University
Major: Marketing