Yasmine Arrington’s work with ScholarCHIPS earned her an honor from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
An already impressive list of accolades got a little longer for Elon University junior Yasmine Arrington when it was announced on July 29 that she was the recipient of the 2013 Matthew J. Quinn Prize from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
Arrington earned the $10,000 award in recognition of her “outstanding achievement in community service,” the foundation said. She’ll use the personal scholarship to help pay for an upcoming Performing Arts study abroad trip to Ghana during the 2014 Winter Term. Arrington, who is a history and strategic communications double major, also purchased a camera and tripod.
“Jack Kent Cook Scholars are known for their passion for giving back to society,” said Lawrence Kutner, executive director of the foundation.
“Passionate” is certainly a fair way to describe Arrington, who founded ScholarCHIPS – a non-profit that provides college scholarships and a support network for children of incarcerated parents. So far, ScholarCHIPS has awarded 13 scholarships totaling $19,000.
In addition to being a Jack Kent Cooke Scholar, Arrington is an Elon College Fellow, a 2012 BET Black Girls Rock M.A.D. (Making a Difference) Girl, the Curves Rock Fashion Weekend 2013 spokesmodel and has seen her efforts featured in publications such as The Washington Post.