Do Great Things Scholarship recipients celebrate with signing day
Posted on 05/08/2024
Five Green Bay West High School students made their college commitments known during a signing day event on May 8, 2024.
Thanks to the generosity of West alumnus Jim Ryan and his wife Tracy, Suabnag Kong and Alisa Lee were awarded scholarships to attend Marquette University, Marcus Russell and Kristy Rivera Ortiz were awarded scholarships to attend UW-Green Bay and Francesca Campos-Moya was awarded the 2024 Do Great Things $5,000 Grant, which she will use toward her education at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Jim and Tracy Ryan created the Do Great Things Initiative (DGTI) to encourage and assist West High School students to become college-ready, understand the financial aid available to them, and secure the funding to alleviate their financial gap burden. The DGTI was created in 2021 after the Ryans learned of the limited number of students from West High School that apply to attend Marquette University.
These scholarships will be awarded annually to students from West High School.
Jim Ryan, Interim Superintendent Vicki Bayer, West High School Assistant Principal Heather Zelzer, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander, and Associate Director of National Recruitment at Marquette University Patrick Correia-Harker spoke to the students at the event.
Meet the Scholarship Recipients
Alisa Lee
Marquette University Scholarship
Alisa is known for her outgoing nature and strong motivation. She actively participated in multiple extracurricular activities at West, including Forensics Speech, where she achieved state-level recognition three times. Alisa demonstrated leadership as Vice President of her class, Treasurer of the National Honor Society, and team captain of the Varsity Volleyball team. Despite her busy schedule balancing academics, work, and volunteering, she accumulated 265 service hours. Alisa plans to study psychology at Marquette University, aspiring to become a clinical psychologist. She lives by the principles of kindness and gratitude.
Suabnag Kong
Marquette University Scholarship
Suabnag is a dynamic individual, recognized for her high energy and ambition. With over 20 clubs and sports under her belt, including PACK (Participation Among Community Knowledge),Tiny Earth, Asian Club, and Varsity Volleyball, Suabnag demonstrates versatility and dedication. With over 480 hours of community service, she utilizes her passion for connecting with her community to improve the lives of others. Her future plans include attending Marquette University to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher, with ambitions of becoming a school principal or superintendent.
Marcus Russell
UW-Green Bay Scholarship
Marcus distinguished himself through a diverse range of extracurricular pursuits while at West High School, including Student Council, band, math team, Link Crew, and the school musical. His academic journey will continue at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, majoring in psychology with a minor in photography. Marcus is committed to his goal of fostering positivity within his communities. He draws inspiration from the words of Dr. Seuss, “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the THINKS you can think up if only you try!” Marcus is poised to leave a lasting impact on his community.
Kristy Rivera Ortiz
UW-Green Bay Scholarship
Kristy embodies resilience and creativity. Formerly leading the anime club as its president and contributing to the yearbook and writing club, Kristy has a passion for storytelling. They find joy in creative expression, and aspire to become an author specializing in the genres of horror and fantasy. At the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, they plan to refine their skills and share their unique narratives. Kristy finds inspiration in the words of Kim Hongjoong: "if you're having a hard time… don't think too much. Just live as you are now. Live Now." This mantra guides them through challenges, reminding them to embrace the present moment and pursue their dreams with determination.
Francesca Campos-Moya
2024 Do Great Things $5,000 Grant
Francesca (Cesca) dedicated herself to active leadership within the West High community, serving as President of the National Honor Society, President of the Octagon Club, and Captain of the United Girls Swim Team. Embracing the rigorous IB curriculum, Cesca forged meaningful connections with peers and teachers. In IB classes, her creativity and analytical skills flourished. Cesca will be attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to pursue a career in architecture. Her goal is to infuse positivity into communities through thoughtful design. Inspired by the words of Stephen Chbosky, she believes in the power of being present and feeling deeply, finding boundless possibility in each moment. With her blend of vision and empathy, Cesca aspires to leave a positive mark on the world.
Jim and Tracy Ryan are 1989 graduates of Marquette University, and Jim is a West High School graduate from the class of 1985. Jim was instrumental in forming Marquette University’s Sales Program, and acts as an Advisory Board Member to the program. Read Jim’s full bio here.
The vision for the DGTI is to encourage alumni and local business leaders to form “close the gap” scholarships (independent of the DGTI) that can be awarded to students and allow them to make their dream to attend college a reality. Learn more about the DGTI by watching this video and visiting their website: do-great-things.org. DGTI is a 501c3 organization and can accept 100% tax-deductible donations.