2021 Moody’s Ray McDaniel Scholars
Sponsored by Moody’s, this scholarship is awarded to high-achieving Black students attending a four-year college or university.
The 2021 class received a three-year, need-based scholarship in the amount of $10,000 per year to assist with educational expenses for three academic years.
Andre Spivey
Andre Spivey is a sophomore at Morehouse College. Spivey is a double major in business administration and Chinese studies with plans to is pursue law school. He is a member of the football team on campus and looks forward to joining club activities when he arrives at the college in the fall. He is interning this summer at Mario Morrow & Associates, LLC, where he is helping lead a vaccination campaign in Detroit. Spivey is hard-working, determined, and striving to achieve excellence. Community service is his passion, and he volunteers throughout the city of Detroit. Spivey grew up in Detroit, where he enjoys socializing with friends and family, fishing, and listening to music. Additionally, he is a graduate of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Angel Nyaga
Angel Nyaga is a sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University, studying electrical and computer engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. Nyaga is interested in learning how signal processing and computer science can be implemented into medical technology. On campus, Nyaga is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, where she will service as the Academic Excellence Chair this coming year, SPIRIT, Carnegie Mellon’s Black Student Union, and several on-campus jobs. Nyaga enjoys spending time outside, socializing with friends, and learning new things.
Aniya Cannon
Aniya Cannon is a rising sophomore finance student attending the illustrious North Carolina A&T State University. Cannon is interested in finance and human resources because of the flexibility, growth potential, and teamwork. During her second semester of her senior year in high school, she worked as a gymnastics coach, and she interned with Minden Place to gain general administrative, customer service, and excel skills. Cannon participates in community service activities with Houston Food Bank, Keep Pearland Beautiful, and Hester House foundation. She is passionate about ending food insecurity. Cannon is accountable, empathetic, and diligent. Cannon aspires to create a mentorship program for black high school students, and her main objective would be to educate students about financial literacy. Cannon enjoys DIY projects, baking, and fitness.
Jordan Gray
Jordan Gray is a sophomore chemistry major at Howard University. He obtained a 4.0 GPA during his first two semesters of college. Gray is from Richmond, Virginia and worked for BJ’s Wholesale Club as a cashier since June 2020 during the first height of the global pandemic. Gray started a new position at Trego Dugan Aviation as a cross utilization agent this spring and then got offered the opportunity to intern with Moody’s Diversity and Inclusion department. Gray is currently a member of the Health Professions Society at Howard University and is a certified pharmacy technician. He was selected to participate in the Health Occupational Students of America State Leadership Conference for math and pharmacy last year. Gray enjoys coaching and playing basketball.
Joshua Boyce
Joshua Boyce is a sophomore at the illustrious Alabama A&M University where he is majoring in urban and regional planning, with a minor in remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Driven by a strong desire to be a servant leader, Boyce knows that the best way to be of service is to be successful. This past semester while carrying a seven class course load, Boyce earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, was named to the dean’s list and is the recipient of the Freshman’s President award. Since transitioning to campus he has joined the American Planning Association and served on the universities second place NASA Space App challenge team. In his spare time, Boyce enjoys playing basketball and video games, volunteering at the local Habitat for Humanity organization, and working his part time job at Walmart where he is a stocker.
Leo Williams
Leo Williams is a bioengineering major at California Institute of Technology. Williams is an Eagle Scout, a Gold Level Presidential Service Award recipient, and the founder of the free tutoring service for students in his school district LAW tutoring. Williams has performed research with the mathematics department at Lawrence Technological University, with the Arnold Laboratory at Caltech, and is currently performing research with the Chou laboratory at Caltech. Outside of academics, he is on the Caltech basketball team, and is the co-founder of apparel brand Freestyle Kiqs. After graduation, Williams plans to continue his education, obtaining a doctoral degree to perform medical research.
Lydia Patterson
Lydia Patterson is a sophomore studying electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She’s interested in software development, IoT, biomedical technology, and is especially passionate about mental health and healthcare equity. On campus, she’s a member of the Varsity Field Hockey team and serves as a student leader for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This past year, she worked as an undergraduate researcher for the Digital Humanities Lab, and with Design for America to address the wellbeing within the undergraduate student community. Patterson will be joining the Aerospace Corporation this summer as a technical intern. Outside of the classroom, Patterson is big on mentorship and outreach. She also enjoys puzzles, writing, and playing her violin.
Maya Ginyard
Maya Ginyard is a sophomore at Tuskegee University, studying biology on the pre-medicine track. She plans on attending medical school to pursue her dream of being an obstetrician. A native of Washington D.C., she is passionate about combating maternal healthcare disparities in her underserved community of Ward 8, Southeast D.C. By also pursuing a master’s in public health, she hopes to build a career that combines her passion for healthcare advocacy with her interest in clinical medicine. On campus, she is involved in several organizations including community service club and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students. She also holds leadership positions including serving as President of the female honors residence hall and as a Tuskegee University Student Recruiter. This summer she is currently interning doing cancer research with Tuskegee University and University of Alabama faculty and works as a diversity inclusion intern at Moody’s.
Ngu Tezi
Ngu Tezi is an international business major attending Howard University from Maryland. For summer 2021, Tezi is working as an aftermarket intern for Collins Aerospace. Tezi has been recognized for his corporate experience and commitment to service as the Howard University 21st Century program Team leader of the month due to great teamwork, organizational skills, and mitigating conflict. Tezi volunteers as a debate coach in the Washington Urban Debate League and specializes in communication, mentorship, and event organization. His other volunteer service includes community organizing, judging debate tournaments, and mentoring the youth. Tezi is an active member of the Howard United Nations association and the Showtime marching band. Tezi is known for his bright personality, skill sets, and ability to communicate with anyone.
Sanaa Holston
Sanaa Holston is a sophomore at North Carolina A&T State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management (business administration). As a college student, Holston has achieved high honors on her university’s chancellor’s list after earning a 3.8 GPA during the fall semester. In October 2020, she decided to join an organization called 100 Collegiate Women in hopes of helping her community and forming close bonds with her peers. Holston has the career goal of becoming an entrepreneur, she plans to own a beauty supply store and a daycare center.
Simone Green
Simone Green is a sophomore at Cornell University’s College of Engineering, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science with anticipated minors in information science and law and society. She is a member of various organizations, including Underrepresented Minorities in Computing at Cornell, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. On campus, she additionally holds various leadership positions such as a College of Engineering Peer Advisor and a computer science teaching assistant. With regards to her academic recognition, Green is the recipient of both the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award and the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship. Her interests lie in cybersecurity and information policy, which is showcased through her summer internship as a Cybersecurity Intelligence Intern for the MITRE Corporation. Raised in Delaware, Green enjoys playing softball, practicing the piccolo, and trying new foods.
Tyler Spann
Tyler Spann is a sophomore at Howard University, studying human performance with a concentration in sports medicine. Spann is interested in physical therapy and the sports medicine field because he believes those fields will allow him to help people in need while staying involved in sports and exercise which are some of his interests. On campus, Spann is involved in many different activities including the community service organization, The Men of George Washington Carver, and the Howard University Health Professions Society. Spann is also a member of Trinity AME Zion Church in Washington, D.C. where he actively participates in the acolyte and sound ministry. In addition, he is the former president of the Varick Youth Council at the church as well. Raised in Prince George,s County, Maryland, Spann enjoys listening to music, working out, playing basketball, socializing with friends and family, and collecting and listening to vinyl records.
