Luisa M. Velasquez Memorial Scholarship Recipients
We are pleased to share information about all scholarship recipients here. Each recipient represents a capable and dedicated leader who helps to keep Luisa's legacy alive, and we look forward to growing this community of recipients.
2017 Recipient: Rozy Amponsah
Rozy Amponsah is an MBA graduate of Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management, a Consortium Fellow, and MLT Professional Development Fellow. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Fitchburg State University. Prior to Johnson, Rosemary worked in regional sales at Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world's leading research-driven pharmaceutical companies. She was responsible for directing sales initiatives to healthcare practitioners focused on growing several product prescription medicines within the Boehringer Ingelheim portfolio. Most notably, she worked within the Diabetes portfolio among high populations of low-income patients.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Rosemary also served as the Youth Director of the third largest African Pentecostal church in New England. She took on the role after she recognized the potential for an environment that would help bolster a more effective relationship between the youth and the community at large. As a former science mentor for underprivileged girls with The Science Club for Girls, she understands the importance of reaching back. In her spare time, she also enjoys African dancing and taught classes for several years. While an MBA student at S.C. Johnson, Rosemary's goal was to empower underrepresented women through the intersection of healthcare and technology.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Rosemary also served as the Youth Director of the third largest African Pentecostal church in New England. She took on the role after she recognized the potential for an environment that would help bolster a more effective relationship between the youth and the community at large. As a former science mentor for underprivileged girls with The Science Club for Girls, she understands the importance of reaching back. In her spare time, she also enjoys African dancing and taught classes for several years. While an MBA student at S.C. Johnson, Rosemary's goal was to empower underrepresented women through the intersection of healthcare and technology.
2018 Recipient: Nancy Guzman
Nancy is an MBA graduate at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management with a minor in Real Estate. Prior to business school, she worked in the aerospace industry as a Project Manager supporting large scale defense programs with strategic planning, subcontractor management, and financial analysis.
Having always had an affinity for real estate, Nancy began investing in residential assets in 2013. After flipping her first home for a profit, she dedicated her spare time to investing in residential properties. At Johnson, she is on the Executive Board of the Cornell Real Estate Women (CREW) Club and is a member of Cornell's UT Austin Real Estate Case Competition team. Post MBA, Nancy is pursuing a career in real estate investments and acquisitions.
Nancy has her BA from UC Berkeley and System Engineering and Project Management Certificates from CalTech. She is a native Angelino, with stints living in the SF Bay Area, Rome, Washington D.C., Southern California, Dallas, and Oklahoma City.
Having always had an affinity for real estate, Nancy began investing in residential assets in 2013. After flipping her first home for a profit, she dedicated her spare time to investing in residential properties. At Johnson, she is on the Executive Board of the Cornell Real Estate Women (CREW) Club and is a member of Cornell's UT Austin Real Estate Case Competition team. Post MBA, Nancy is pursuing a career in real estate investments and acquisitions.
Nancy has her BA from UC Berkeley and System Engineering and Project Management Certificates from CalTech. She is a native Angelino, with stints living in the SF Bay Area, Rome, Washington D.C., Southern California, Dallas, and Oklahoma City.
2019 Recipient: Clementina Ojie
Clementina Ojie was born in Nigeria and lived there until she was about 10 years old before moving to the United States with her family. She grew up in Maryland and attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN for undergrad. During her time there, she served as Captain of the Cheerleading squad and Project Manager for ENACTUS (previously known as Students in Free Enterprise), an organization focused on combining community srevice with business and entrepreneurial principals. She majored in English and Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting with the intent on pursuing a career at a top CPA firm.
However, a course in investment management sparked her interest in the financial markets and she decided to pursue full time opportunities in this space after graduation. So, when she and the Fisk University team went to the regional competition for ENACTUS, she networked with various finance firms. From those connections, she was able to launch her career at Vanguard as a Retirement Associate in the retail investments division. She then transitioned to the Client Service Associate role within the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan where she was later ascended to the Senior Client Service Associate role three years later.
Clementina made the decision to go back to business school after noting the severe lack of minority representation in leadership and she initially considered pivoting into Human Capital Consulting to spark a change in Corporate America. However, after speaking with several Cornell alums and friends, she realized that change could perhaps be most effected as the practitioner who makes the final decisions on hiring and mentors internal employees to ascend in their career. So, returning to her initial interest in the financial markets, Clementina made the decision to instead pivot to Investment Banking and be at the helm of major financial deals and transactions across various industries. She was accepted into the SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell and was thrilled to be awarded the Luisa M. Velasquez MBA '12 Memorial Scholarship gave her the platform to make this career change.
Clementina now an Investment Banking Associate at Evercore, and she enjoys mentoring incoming Johnson students to be bold in their careers regardless of race or gender.
However, a course in investment management sparked her interest in the financial markets and she decided to pursue full time opportunities in this space after graduation. So, when she and the Fisk University team went to the regional competition for ENACTUS, she networked with various finance firms. From those connections, she was able to launch her career at Vanguard as a Retirement Associate in the retail investments division. She then transitioned to the Client Service Associate role within the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan where she was later ascended to the Senior Client Service Associate role three years later.
Clementina made the decision to go back to business school after noting the severe lack of minority representation in leadership and she initially considered pivoting into Human Capital Consulting to spark a change in Corporate America. However, after speaking with several Cornell alums and friends, she realized that change could perhaps be most effected as the practitioner who makes the final decisions on hiring and mentors internal employees to ascend in their career. So, returning to her initial interest in the financial markets, Clementina made the decision to instead pivot to Investment Banking and be at the helm of major financial deals and transactions across various industries. She was accepted into the SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell and was thrilled to be awarded the Luisa M. Velasquez MBA '12 Memorial Scholarship gave her the platform to make this career change.
Clementina now an Investment Banking Associate at Evercore, and she enjoys mentoring incoming Johnson students to be bold in their careers regardless of race or gender.
2020 Recipient: Stefy Smith
Stefy Smith is a dual degree candidate in Public and Business Administration (MBA-MPA) at Cornell University focused on using technology to increase customer-centricity and solve complex social issues.
Prior to returning to school, Smith served as the Program and Training Leader for the Peace Corps in Senegal. She piloted a Youth Incubator Program with the Chamber of Commerce to train students in entrepreneurship and guide them to launch new businesses. She also co-founded SEN-ECOKAF, a waste management company that currently employs more than 90 people in the local community.
Stefy has always been passionate about technology and social issues, so you’ll regularly find her at either Hackathons — working with engineers to prototype and build technology solutions that she hopes can change the world — or at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion — trying to devise ways to engage the community in allyship activities.
Smith is now working at Apple as a Program Manager with the AppleCare team. She’s discovered the power technology has to change the world and would like nothing more than to put her passion and experience into improving millions of lives around the world.
Prior to returning to school, Smith served as the Program and Training Leader for the Peace Corps in Senegal. She piloted a Youth Incubator Program with the Chamber of Commerce to train students in entrepreneurship and guide them to launch new businesses. She also co-founded SEN-ECOKAF, a waste management company that currently employs more than 90 people in the local community.
Stefy has always been passionate about technology and social issues, so you’ll regularly find her at either Hackathons — working with engineers to prototype and build technology solutions that she hopes can change the world — or at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion — trying to devise ways to engage the community in allyship activities.
Smith is now working at Apple as a Program Manager with the AppleCare team. She’s discovered the power technology has to change the world and would like nothing more than to put her passion and experience into improving millions of lives around the world.
2021 Recipient: Onyinyechi Okeke
2022 Recipient: Tamika Money
As a young, strategic, and unapologetically bold force in her field, Tamika Money is a light and a disrupter of the status quo in corporate America. In just 8 years in the supply chain profession, Tamika has made waves working with legendary and iconic brands including Porsche and Harley-Davidson. Tamika prides herself on her ability to abundantly exceed the core duties of any role she takes on and to create positive change-both of which significantly impact corporate culture and structure, promote corporate social responsibility, and enhance the bottom line within the organizations she has served.
A graduate of the illustrious Spelman College, Tamika’s choice to change the world is reflected in every aspect of her life. Her contributions to the corporate space are all a part of what she calls her “corporate activism” in which she seeks to break down barriers to the creation of equity and to provide a space for mutually beneficial, thriving, long lasting relationships to flourish between large and diverse businesses.
In her role at the corporate headquarters for Porsche in North America, Tamika served as a buyer and process improvement expert within the Procurement department and later also Chaired Porsche’s Education Giving Committee. Then as a Senior Supply Chain Analyst at Harley-Davidson, Tamika was often tapped for her collaborative negotiation style as well as her knowledge of procurement best practices and how the tactical and the strategic go hand in hand. During her time at Harley, she also took on the lead role of Harley’s African American Business Employee Resource Group, B.O.L.D. Now, Tamika has begun the journey of owning her space as a future business leader by pursuing her MBA full time at Cornell University as a Consortium Fellow.
The most important role of her life thus far, however, is being a mom to one amazing girl whom she attributes and dedicates her personal and professional achievements.
A graduate of the illustrious Spelman College, Tamika’s choice to change the world is reflected in every aspect of her life. Her contributions to the corporate space are all a part of what she calls her “corporate activism” in which she seeks to break down barriers to the creation of equity and to provide a space for mutually beneficial, thriving, long lasting relationships to flourish between large and diverse businesses.
In her role at the corporate headquarters for Porsche in North America, Tamika served as a buyer and process improvement expert within the Procurement department and later also Chaired Porsche’s Education Giving Committee. Then as a Senior Supply Chain Analyst at Harley-Davidson, Tamika was often tapped for her collaborative negotiation style as well as her knowledge of procurement best practices and how the tactical and the strategic go hand in hand. During her time at Harley, she also took on the lead role of Harley’s African American Business Employee Resource Group, B.O.L.D. Now, Tamika has begun the journey of owning her space as a future business leader by pursuing her MBA full time at Cornell University as a Consortium Fellow.
The most important role of her life thus far, however, is being a mom to one amazing girl whom she attributes and dedicates her personal and professional achievements.
