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One wants to be an architect who designs eco-friendly buildings using unconventional materials.

Another plans to study biomedical engineering.

And the third is considering a career in engineering and design.

Three Sandia Prep students got a boost toward achieving those goals when each received a $5,000 scholarship created by two Prep alumni who want to help inspire and support young women interested in business, engineering, or finance.

The lifelong impact Sandia Prep made on their lives galvanized alum Ali Hashemian ’01 and his partner, Betsy Hume ’01, to create the Kinetic Kares Scholarship.

The inaugural recipients are sophomore Jane English ’27, and freshmen Ingrid Hurley ’28 and Ozzibella “Ozzi” Rocky ’28. The scholarship recognizes their outstanding academic achievement and exemplary personal conduct. 

“Ali had the importance of helping others ingrained in him by his mother at a very early age, and we both realized how much our school years influenced our interests and eventual career paths,” Hume explained. “We saw how support, both financially and emotionally, can change the course of a person’s life. Our goals would be for these students, and any other impacted by the program, to feel that kind of support and inspiration to tap into their limitless potential.”

A Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Kinetic Kares is dedicated to providing opportunities to underprivileged and underrepresented individuals seeking careers in the financial industry. It provides scholarships or financial aid for education related to finances and helps secure internships and job placement opportunities for qualified candidates.

Sandia Prep expanded the scholarship to female students who have demonstrated leadership and potential in engineering and design, entrepreneurial studies, science, or innovation.

“Prep is such a special place and was such a wonderful experience for both of us,” Hume says. “We often talk about how our education and time spent there set us up for success for many reasons, from the strength of our writing skills to the incredible, lifelong connections we made there. It felt natural and intuitive to launch our scholarship program at the place where we felt so nurtured and supported, but still challenged and sculpted.”

Possible future activities include financial literacy workshops at Prep. Kinetic Kares also is exploring the option of choosing scholarship candidates in their freshman year and giving them a tuition gift each year until they graduate. 

Read on to learn more about the recipients.

Jane English is a leader on Prep’s Mountain Biking Team. She’s also a Camping Associate (CA) in the Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP) and participates in the Helping Hands community service activity.

In eighth grade, English’s mountain biking prowess landed a pro development team sponsorship. 

Design and building have always been interests, she says. “I’ve always been into arts and crafts and building things out of random things I find.”

She’s long been interested in architecture but only recently realized she would like to specialize in eco-friendly buildings that use unconventional materials and have interesting and unexpected features. “Nature is a huge part of my life. All of the sports I enjoy doing are in the mountains. Whether it’s taking inspiration from how things are built naturally, how ecosystems grow and thrive, or building something to give back and take care of what I love, I want to keep people on their toes about what to expect from me and create things that nobody has ever thought of before.”

English took DareDevil Design in both her sixth- and seventh-grade year, and credits teacher Dan de León with helping her see the leadership role she could play in the engineering field. “He challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and try new ways and strategies to do things,” she says. “My seventh-grade year, he put me in charge of a renovation project for the memorial garden we have here on campus. Although not all went well with it, it was an amazing experience and the first time I ever felt like I was able to share my creative ideas, have them heard, and have others help me execute them.”

Her ninth-grade engineering teacher, Consuelo Otero, inspired her because of her role leading other engineers at Sandia National Labs in a male-dominant field. “Seeing such an amazing, intelligent, and empowering woman doing so well in this career path has motivated me further,” she says. “She showed me that no matter what, as long as you put work into what you love and care about, nobody can stop you.”

This year, English is in the Mechatronics class.

She says that receiving the Kinetic Kares scholarship “really showed me that other people see the work I put into the things I love.”

Her mother, Jane English, says the scholarship has been impactful for their family. “It has shown Jane that people believe in her potential and abilities, that she should continue exploring all the endless possibilities to problems, and that she should never stop asking for help and utilizing her resources.

“We also appreciate that it is able to help lighten the financial burden so that we can ensure Jane can finish out her schooling at Sandia Prep,” she adds.

Ozzi Rockey is on Prep’s softball and chess teams.

She’s developed an interest in all types of engineering over the last few years. “This is my first year in the Principles of Engineering class, and it has broadened my understanding of the engineering process,” she says. “Math has always been my favorite and strongest subject, and engineering requires a lot of it.”

Because several members of her family are in medicine, Rocky thought she might pursue that field as well, but now she’s leaning toward biomedical engineering. “Biomedical engineering provides an opportunity to combine both of my interests,” she says.

Prep has already been an important part of her development. “Every teacher that I have had since my start at Prep has challenged me to be a better student,” Rocky explains. “Being a student at Prep has helped me with my confidence, and they have pushed me to stay on top of my responsibilities.”

Her mother, Debra Rockey, says the scholarship “really helps our family financially. However, I am grateful for the help in validating that Ozzibella’s character and work has not gone unnoticed.”

“I believe that her recognition and acceptance of this scholarship helped her to see that every effort she makes, whether it be in the classroom, on the softball field, or across from a chess opponent, builds her to be a better person.”

Ingrid Hurley is a member of Prep’s ninth-grade leadership team, a Camping Associate (CA) with the Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP), and a member of the Varsity Girls Soccer team.

She’s taking Principles of Engineering this year, and last year she took an engineering class as well.

“My interests in those areas are definitely engineering and design,” she says. 

She credits teacher Arren Buck with mentoring her and making the engineering process enjoyable. Her favorite projects so far include designing a large 3D Lego person and building miniature truss bridges. 

Learning the design program for the Lego project was challenging at first but gratifying once she got the hang of it. “It was cool to learn how to design something that I thought was so simple but really wasn’t,” she says.

For the bridge project, students used software to design their creations and determine how to make them stronger, then built models out of straws.

Hurley isn’t sure yet what she wants to study in college, but engineering, medicine, and science all fascinate her.

We are grateful for this philanthropic gift that benefits our families. If you’re interested in creating a scholarship for Prep, please contact Development Director Alicia Marcell at amarcell@sandiaprep.org.