Each year, Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter awards a four-year scholarship, totaling up to $4,000, to a graduating senior in the top third of his or her class.  Other eligibility requirements include:  a completed application; an official transcript with ACT or SAT scores; a letter of recommendation from the student’s guidance counselor and teacher of an academic subject; and a typewritten autobiographical essay. 

Prior to receiving the scholarship, the applicant must verify acceptance to and attendance at an accredited post-secondary university or college.  The student must also maintain a C+ average throughout college to keep the scholarship.  The children of Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter members are ineligible to apply.  

The availability of applications are announced each year in February and are due in April.  Please check this website’s homepage for the announcement and to download the application. 

The Audrey D. Holmes Scholarship, founded by The Holmes Family in memory of Ms. Audrey D. Holmes and administered by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter, is awarded to a University of New Haven female, undergraduate sophomore who has declared a criminal justice major.  Ms. Holmes believed that having a strong educational foundation was the key to success. She received her BS degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University, Boston, MA.  For 28 years, she worked for the Connecticut Department of Corrections and Board of Pardons & Paroles.  She was appointed to the Board of the Emergency Management Shelter and has chaired various committees. 

Since 1995, she remained an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter, holding the positions of Graduate Advisor and Sergeant-at-Arms.  As a  Graduate Advisor of Xi Omicron Chapter, the undergraduate chapter whose membership includes students from the University of New Haven, she received the Graduate Advisor of the Year Award.  Ms. Holmes also received a North Atlantic Regional appointment to serve on the My Sister’s Keeper Committee. Ms. Holmes was adored as a leader and mentor.

The recipient of the Audrey D. Holmes scholarship must maintain a 3.0 GPA, be of African American descent, and involved in extra-curricular activities. Preference for this award is given to a student who is a resident of New Haven County. If, however, no student meets this criteria, the awardee shall be a resident of the State of Connecticut. This scholarship is awarded to the same individual during her sophomore, junior, and senior years as long as she continues to meet the above criteria. Should the recipient not meet the above criteria in either her junior or senior year, a new sophomore student shall be chosen.

In recent years, Theta Epsilon Omega has been fortunate to increase the amount of the scholarship because of excellent fundraising years.  We owe that to you for your support at our various fundraising events.  As our application pool shows, there are many deserving students that need scholarships to help pay for their college education, and it is our hope to increase our fundraising dollars to expand our reach.  Please donate to Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter’s scholarship program to help deserving youth secure a better future. 

For more information and to apply for other academic scholarships, fellowships and community assistance awards, visit the sorority’s Educational Advancement Foundation, Inc

Abiba Biao Achievement First Amistad High School New Haven, CT

Abiba Biao is a 17 year old senior at Achievement First Amistad High School and rising freshman at Southern Connecticut State University. She is the social media manager for the New Haven Climate Movement (NCHM) and an intern at the Climate Health Education Project (CHEP) for the 2021-2022 school year. As a CHEP intern, she creates educational webinars featuring prominent environmentalists such as Wawa Gatheru and works with teachers inside her high school to implement climate education lessons. Within the New Haven Climate Movement, she serves as a social media manager, creating video and graphic content surrounding climate action and public health in New Haven. Inspired by her activism experience, she plans to double major in environmental and communication studies in the fall.


Abiba enjoys writing as well. After publishing a special edition for the Yale Daily News for Black History Month, Abiba joined the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative as an intern in April 2022, writing for the New Haven Arts Paper. She did it in order to learn about the true impact journalism may have on people. With the New Haven Arts Paper, she focuses her efforts on environmental community activities and celebrations of Black joy. Through this internship, she was introduced to photography and photojournalism, and aims to build on this passion by enrolling in the Yale Center for British Arts photography program, The View From Here: Accessing Art Through Photography, in the fall of 2022.

Year 

Name

High School 

College/University

2021 Montsho Canton Hamden High School, Hamden, CT Spelman College 
2020 Kameren Sophia Simmons Hamden High School, Hamden, CT Howard University 
2019Brookelyn HazelwoodCooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CTHampton University
2018Lydia OgbeJames Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CTUniversity of Connecticut
2017Makayla BigardMetropolitan Business Academy, New Haven, CTCentral Connecticut State University
2017Whitney BrelandCooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CTSouthern Connecticut State University
2016Kiani SimmonsCooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CTDelaware State University
2016Arese UwuoruyaAchievement First Amistad High School, New Haven, CTYale University
2015Tatiana GayWest Haven High School, West Haven, CTUniversity of New Haven
2014Hannah E. GreeneHill Regional Career High School, New Haven, CTYale University
2013Bryana BraxtonDaniel Hand High School, Madison, CTAmerican University
2013Brandi FullwoodJames Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CTMiddlebury College
2012Brianna Blunt James Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CT Parsons the New School for Design 
2012 Aloysia Jean James Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CT  Georgetown University
2011Dominique HaywoodAmith Regional High School, Woodbridge, CTNortheastern University
2011Maria ArnoldHigh School in the Community, New Haven, CTQuinnipiac University
2010Shayna SmithJames Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CTUniversity of Connecticut
2010Joshua ThomasHill Regional Career High School, New Haven, CTSouthern Connecticut State University
2009Ashley McWilliamsJames Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CTUniversity of Connecticut
2009Kathleen SmithCooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CTSouthern Connecticut State University
2008Timothy JonesCooperative Arts and Humanities High School, New Haven, CTMorehouse College 
2007Melissa MaysJames Hillhouse High School, New Haven, CT Georgetown University 
2007Carissa Wright Cheshire High School, Cheshire, CT Boston College