Our Impact — 4S Education Foundation

Success Stories

Edray Goins

The streets of South Central LA were no temptation for Edray, who grew up near the infamous corner of Florence & Normandie. He loved math, dedicated his effort to mastering the most difficult concepts, and eventually earned his PhD at Stanford, after graduating from CalTech. He has taught at Harvard, Oxford, CalTech, Purdue, and now, Pomona College. He is currently the President of the National Association of Mathematicians.

Sandy Nguyen

Sandy is a first-generation immigrant living in Alhambra, whose parents, because of illness and language issues, have had a difficult time providing for her. However, Sandy went to work by training herself in entrepreneurship and user experience design which landed her an internship at a Google startup. Some of her achievements include receiving UCI’s student startup fund award and the Forbes Under 30 scholar title. Sandy is a skilled artist, but her most amazing work is recreating herself as a powerful and successful woman.

Shekinah Laylo

Shekinah Laylo has always taken responsibility for those in need, including family members who had to deal with serious health issues. This trait led her to great success as a UCLA student, graduating with honors, and since then has completed her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Sherona Garrett-Ruffin

Sherona attended the famous Oberlin College where she achieved a 3.94 GPA, double majored in Biology & Psychology, delivered scholarly papers at scientific conferences, and was the editor of The Black Student Newspaper. Sherona earned a PhD in Neuroscience, and is now a professor at Bowling Green University.

4s Sherona Garret Ruffin Oberlin College Graduate

Cindy Luo

When Cindy Luo's mother needed advanced medical treatment, she also needed someone crucial to help her—a translator. Cindy guided her mother through the most perilous moments—and in the meantime gained great medical expertise. She is now a graduate of MIT, preparing for a medical career that will translate her skills into life savers for so many more.

Costolino Hogan

Costolino Hogan survived migraines and other health issues to earn his USC degree in Public Policy. After years of serving the public in the Bay Area, Costolino went to Kaiser Health, where he is a senior advisor on fiscal affairs.

Judea "JuJu" Watkins

At the age of 11, Judea Watkins was already a top basketball player. With the help of Dr. Chase, was able to pass the ISEE, and matriculated at Sierra Canyon HS, where she was chosen as the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. She is now an All-American at USC and is known worldwide for her incredible skills.

Kathleen Gutierrez

Kathleen was so dedicated to the welfare of her peers that she created a health clinic at her high school, especially designed to improve the mental health of teenage girls. After many years of study at UC Berkeley, she earned her PhD and is now a History professor at UC Santa Cruz.

Dru Bramlett

Drusilla Bramlett was such a talented graphic designer that she completed the UCLA design program a year ahead of schedule. Since then she has become one of the top experts in her field, working for Hulu and most recently for Google.