Ascend Cares Foundation awards scholarships to five graduates

The Ascend Cares Foundation has awarded scholarships to five children of Ascend employees in Alabama, Florida and Texas.

Each winner will receive a $2,000 college scholarship. The students were selected by Ascend Cares, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed and funded by Ascend Performance Materials, based on their records of community service and maintenance of at least a 3.0 grade point average.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in bright young minds of students like Abigail, Derek, Jazelyn, Katie and Melissa,” said Marianne Cone, executive director of the Ascend Cares Foundation. “Our scholarship committee was very impressed with these students' hard work in school and commitment to their communities.”

Abigail Francescon

Abigail Francescon, 18, of Friendswood, Texas, is a graduate of Bay Area Christian School and will attend the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor to study nursing.

Francescon has worked in her church’s food pantry, distributing food to the needy in her community, for the past year and a half. Last August, they raised money to purchase backpacks and school supplies for children in an event called “Backpacks of Blessings”. Two of the church members were hairstylists, and they offered free back-to-school haircuts at the same time. Francescon observed the sense of pride the children had after getting their new haircuts and wrote about the experience in the scholarship application essay.“I never thought about families not having enough money to get a haircut," she wrote. "This was an eye-opener for me."

Francescon not only looks forward to participating in Backpacks of Blessings but also plans to do her own fundraising among her family and friends to help support this cause. “I plan on doing my part to bring more awareness to poverty," she says.

Francescon’s parents are Tracey and Louis Francescon. Louis works as a processor at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Alvin, Texas.

Read more in The Journal -- Friendswood.

Derek Hudson

Derek Hudson, 18, of Friendswood, Texas, is a graduate of Friendswood High School and will attend the University of Texas to study computer science and electrical engineering.

Hudson never expected to be able to combine his love of computers with volunteer service. Last summer, he helped teach a computer science course at Friendswood High School to a group of students from sixth to eighth grades. While he had volunteered for other causes in the past, this experience was different.

Derek wrote in his application essay that teaching was more challenging than he expected. He had to learn how to interact successfully with a range of personalities in the classroom, including some who were not there to learn. “These challenges taught me that almost everyone is willing to work hard, especially with encouragement,” he said.

At UT, Hudson plans to continue to volunteer, especially if it involves computer science, and he wants to inspire others to do the same. “If I am able to find a volunteering position doing what I love, I should be able to convince others that they can help the community by volunteering in the field they choose," he says.

Hudson’s parents are Diane and Kenneth Hudson. Diane works as a senior electrical engineer at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Alvin, Texas.

Read more in The Journal -- Friendswood.

Jazelyn Little

Jazelyn Little, 18, of Harvest, Alabama, is a graduate of Sparkman High School and will attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham to study forensic science.

As a member of the National Honor Society, Little frequently volunteered on projects in her school and community. In her scholarship essay, she described how her first visit to a nursing home in 2011 made a lasting impact.

“I went to hand out care packages that I’d made with my family,” Little said. “I figured we’d just drop them off at the front desk and go home.” Instead, the staff offered to let her deliver the packages herself. “What I didn’t realize at the time is that most of the people placed in nursing homes are forgotten,” she said. “Their only interaction is with residents and workers; not their family. It was clear to me that everyone isn’t blessed enough to have family and love surrounding them.”

Little realized that a small act of kindness could have an enormous impact on someone’s life, and she’s returned to visit that nursing home several times since. She’s developed an interest in working with young people and volunteers at Sci-Quest, a science camp, over school breaks. She plans to continue volunteering and mentoring young people in the future.

Little’s parents are Angela and JB Little. JB works as a processor at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Decatur, Alabama.

Katie Noble

Katie Noble, 18, of Chumuckla, Florida, is a graduate of Milton High School and will attend the University of West Florida to study special education.

In her essay, Noble described the impact of a volunteer mission trip she took with her church to Anderson, South Carolina.

She and the other volunteers helped out in numerous ways, from cleaning, painting and landscaping the church that hosted them, to holding bible school and throwing a block party for kids in the area.

Noble also had the opportunity to make some food deliveries with the local Meals on Wheels group and visit with some residents at a rehab facility. “The trip inspired me to continue community service by showing me how many ways I can make a difference in the lives of others,” she said. While her church is planning another mission trip this year to New Orleans, she recognizes there are plenty of volunteer opportunities in her own backyard. “I hope to inspire others to serve by organizing service projects and leading by example,” she said.

Noble’s parents are Sarah and Chris Noble. Chris works as a nylon pilot plant lead operator at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Pensacola, Florida.

Read more in the Pensacola News Journal.

Melissa Phan

Melissa Phan, 17, of Richmond, Texas, is a graduate of Calvary Episcopal School and will attend the University of Texas to study biomedical engineering.

Volunteering has impacted Phan so much that she hopes to start her own nonprofit organization one day.

Phan volunteers at the Beacon Day Center in downtown Houston through her student council. The Beacon provides services to Houston’s homeless population.

“Being a volunteer has taught me about the value of nonprofit services to the community,” she said. “It showed me that anyone is capable of making an impact. I enjoy giving back to others.”

Working with the homeless opened Phan’s eyes to the difficulties they face. “We are able to get to know them and hear their stories” she said.

Melissa’s parents are Bich-chieu and Toan Giang. Bich-chieu is a control lab chemist at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Alvin, Texas.