Congratulations to Our 2025 BSLA First in the Family Humanist Forward Freethought Scholarship Awardees!
Black Skeptics’ annual First in the Family Humanist Forward Freethought Scholarship fund, providing up to $5000 in scholarships to BIPOC secular, undocumented, LGBTQI+, foster care and unhoused youth, is generously supported by the Freedom From Religion Foundation Bredvold Fund and community donors, Carrie Harrington, George Corbin, John Levin, Evan Clark and Phil Zuckerman. The BSLA review committee is D. Frederick Sparks, Von Hurt, Deana Williams and Sikivu Hutchinson.
HARINI POOTHERI, CAL POLY POMONA
Eighteen year-old Harini Pootheri will be attending Cal Poly Pomona in the fall. She is a foster youth and First in the Family recipient. She is currently “registered as a Philosophy, with an emphasis on Law and Society major. However, I am planning on switching my major to Business Administration, Management and Human Resources.”
“As a foster youth of color I am at greater risk for incarceration. This scholarship has given me the security to know that I will graduate with a degree, which only 3% of foster youth are able to do. As a humanist, I’m really grateful that this scholarship is also secular. I have experiences with foster families who wanted me to convert to their Christian religion. There have been so many obstacles in my way as a foster youth that I’ve had to push through to go to college.”
KAYLIN NELSON, UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Seventeen year-old Kaylin Nelson is bound for the University of Central Florida in the fall. At her high school she held leadership positions in the National Honors’ Society, the Speech and Debate Team, and the Black Women’s Student Union. She will be majoring in Social Work.
“As secular youth, we are often seen as rebels or deviants by our families. When I struggled with mental health issues in the past, I was often told to just pray. With the help of this scholarship, I want to provide mental health services that rely on methods other than religion and fear.”
STEPHANIE AVITIA, UC BERKELEY
Eighteen year-old first generation college student Stephanie Avitia will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall. She will be pursuing a degree Bioengineering and Climate Science.
“As a Latina atheist, this scholarship is important to me because it shows that I am not alone. Coming from a community and culture that shoves religion down your throat from the moment you are born you can’t help but feel like an outsider when you start to question things. I want to push back on the dominant narrative and encourage other youth to do their own research; as well as research the origins of modern religions and how they were used to enslave our people. I am glad that my generation is challenging these beliefs. This award will help me stay involved in community-based organizations that I care about like (those working on) educational equity and gentrification.”
BELEN PADILLA, SCRIPPS COLLEGE
First generation college student Belen Padilla will be pursuing a degree in neuroscience at Scripps College in the fall. She has been involved in domestic violence prevention activism, scored a 5 on her AP Psychology test last spring, and aspires to be a social justice-oriented neurologist giving back to communities of color:
“As a queer Latina atheist this scholarship has empowered me by valuing my voice. I will continue my nonprofit work raising awareness about health disparities through science and statistics not faith. I have always been belittled about my lack of faith by my own community and family, but Black Skeptics has made me feel that my choice is valid and has empowered me. This scholarship will help me further my neuroscience education and pursue med school, becoming part of the 2% of Latinas with STEM degrees and even fewer percentage of first generation, low-income queer Latinas in STEM.”
NATASHA HERRERA, UC IRVINE
Seventeen year-old first in the family student Natasha Herrera is bound for UC Irvine in the fall. She identifies as a bi-racial Black female and is passionate about science and social justice.
“In my experience, people have tried to use religion as an excuse for the world and their
actions. Instead of trying to hold people accountable often God is used as a scapegoat. I
struggled to see how if an almighty god existed he would allow so much bad and evil to exist
and why he would punish those who didn’t believe in or agree with him. Learning about the
injustices and struggles in the world just made me more angry at God. So much conflict and
harm have been a product of religion, and, yet, “He” has done nothing about it. I was tired of people waiting for God to make a change when they were really the only ones capable of doing anything. As an atheist I believe Humanism is the only way to make significant positive change.”
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