Congratulations to the 2023-24 GEJ Scholarship Award Winners

We are excited to announce the winners of the 2023-24 GEJ Scholarship Awards! These recent CRS alums, staff, and volunteers embody the values of leadership, excellence, and commitment to social justice across a variety of fields and disciplines. We congratulate them on their past achievements and wish them well in their future endeavors!

As part of our commitment to supporting young leaders, each year LAJF awards scholarships to CRS alumni obtaining their undergraduate or graduate degrees at institutions in the United States. The GEJ Scholarships, dedicated to the memory of George E. ("Freddie") Jonas, founder and benefactor of Camp Rising Sun, are made possible thanks to the generosity of Seth Frank (CRS ‘48, ‘49), the creator of the GEJ Scholarship Fund.  We invite you to join Seth, the Georges Lurcy Trust, and many other donors in their ongoing support of our future GEJ scholars with your generous donation to the GEJ Scholarship Fund!

Lauren Froelich

CRS ‘14

“Attending CRS encouraged me to explore new opportunities and seek out creative solutions to the world’s problems. My non-linear path that ultimately led to my decision to attend graduate school and pursue a career in physical therapy would not have occurred without the curiosity CRS inspired and the global gateways CRS opened.”

Lauren attended Camp Rising Sun in 2014 and has since served as a mentor in the College Student Network and on the California Selection Committee. Lauren holds a BA from Scripps College and is currently a Doctorate of Physical Therapy student at Washington University in St. Louis. Lauren sees a future in which she is established as an in-patient physical therapist with expertise working with surgical, ortho/trauma, and burn patients.

April Guo-Yue

CRS ‘19

John Litsios Scholar

"The experiences and values instilled during my time at Camp Rising Sun have been invaluable. I am excited to stay connected and continue contributing to the community that has shaped me into the person I am today."

April attended Camp Rising Sun in 2019 and currently studies Biomedical Engineering at Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. April received the John Litsios Scholar designation not only because of her pursuit of bioengineering studies, but also because of her extensive experience with robotics, computer sciences, and earth sciences. April aspires to be a passionate researcher and advocate, on a mission to revolutionize healthcare. Having witnessed the challenges faced by her Mississippi community, from economic struggles to limited access to quality healthcare, April hopes to bridge the gap between medical research and policy work, with the goal of transforming healthcare practices and ensuring accessible healthcare for all.

Elizabeth Liang Hudak

CRS ‘18, ‘19

“Those involved with CRS and LAJF have always been the biggest supporters and inspirations when it comes to my studies.”

Elizabeth attended Camp Rising Sun in 2018 and returned as a Second Year Camper in 2019, worked as a Counselor in 2022 and 2023, and has also served on the CRS At-Large Selection Committee and as an LAJF Communications intern. Elizabeth attends the University of Pittsburgh and studies Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, in addition to pursuing a Transnational Asia certificate. Elizabeth loves academia and plans to get numerous undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. She looks forward to a future in which she is surrounded with sources of radical inspiration, just as working at Camp has been for her these past two summers.

Tai-Ge Min

CRS ‘21, ‘22

Pete Seeger Scholar

“I’m incredibly proud and grateful to be a member of the CRS community.”

Tai-Ge participated in the TELE 2021 session and attended Camp Rising Sun 2022 as a Second Year Camper. Tai-Ge is a rising sophomore at UCLA studying Asian American Studies, Labor Studies, and Social Data Science. Hailing from a family of organizers, Tai-Ge is passionate about the power of organizing in bringing power to marginalized people and workers. They have worked in student and labor organizing in their communities and continue to use skills learned from CRS as an organizer and student. Tai-Ge was named the Pete Seeger Scholar because of their demonstrated value of service to others and, like Pete, living a life likely to touch and improve the lives of others.

Jasmin Vargas

CRS ‘12, ‘13

“This scholarship is a constant reminder of the community CRS builds and reminds me of our interconnectedness and support even long after we have left Camp. It also reinforces the circular nature of mentorship and support that I feel a responsibility to continue.“

Jasmin attended Camp Rising Sun in 2012, returned as a Second Year Camper in 2013, and served on the New York Selection Committee afterwards. Jasmin holds a BA from Lafayette College and is currently a 3rd Year medical student at Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University. Jasmin’s goal is to conduct interdisciplinary, longitudinal research from bench to patient bedside with a focus on the underlying causes of health disparities in minority and low socioeconomic status Americans, particularly for chronic and communicable diseases. With these tools, Jasmin hopes to further health equity and generate systemic change in medicine as a community-based physician and researcher.