University of Redlands
The Hunsaker Scholarship Prize is awarded annually to a select number of exceptional incoming students from diverse backgrounds. The highly competitive award meets each recipient’s full demonstrated financial need for all four years at Redlands. Alumni couple Richard and Virginia Hunsaker, class of 1952, established the scholarship in 2014 with their transformational gift of $35 million.
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
High School: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart & George Washington Online High School
During high school, Danielle (Dani) Baxter spent much of her time working with Junior State of America (JSA), a non-profit dedicated to fighting civic apathy, serving as National Director of Public Relations and later as Director of Fundraising, personally raising over $11,000. In addition to her leadership roles, Dani won numerous Best Speaker awards from behind the podium. Beyond JSA, Dani also interned with Young Women Empowered, taught sailing, and performed in Seattle’s Snowflake Lane. After taking a gap year, Dani is excited to be involved in ASUR Senate and plans to enter the Johnston program next year. Dani plans to gain knowledge through both teaching and experience to find (or create!) a career that can help the world. You can always count on her to not only think outside the box, but to never let the existence of a box hinder her ability to grow and help others.
Hometown: Long Grove, Illinois
High School: Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Dylan Jin-Seok Chae is a proud Asian-American with an immense passion for serving and connecting his community. In high school, he held many leadership positions in Diversity Council, the Freshmen Mentor Program, and the National Honor Society and founded the Asian Student Association and East Asia Project. He hosted many cultural events and raised funds for charities such as Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, the Northern Illinois Food Pantry, and the Thirst Project. As the president of multiple clubs, Dylan brought members of his community together to celebrate diversity through a variety of perspectives and cultural lenses. Having lived among numerous cultures and ideologies, Dylan hopes to find innovative ways to connect the Bulldog and global community. He plans on studying Environmental Studies and Asian Studies and getting involved with the Redlands Bulldog Newspaper and Asian Student Association.
Rokiatou Diop takes pride in being a global citizen. While attending a boarding school in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Diop was a member of the sustainability council, K-pop dance group, the soccer, volleyball, and swim teams, participated in an advanced music program and Model United Nations (UN), and worked as a student ambassador, taking new and prospective students on campus tours. But the accomplishment she is most proud of is serving as the president of student council, a position she secured by running on a platform that emphasized representing the student community and addressing their needs while acting as a link between the student body and faculty members to affect change. While participating in Model UN, Diop wrote papers on authoritarianism, women’s rights, and religious coexistence—an experience that directly translates to her desire to study global business at Redlands. Having lived in many countries, she hopes to start a career in international relations or entrepreneurship after securing her degree. Diop sees the value in a global perspective and how it informs the ways in which people understand and navigate the world and looks forward to raising awareness of different cultures and minority communities on campus.
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
High School: Adelson Educational Campus
Ari Klausner cares deeply about the people in his community. An avid environmental activist, Ari has been a vegetarian for ten years, and has led volunteer groups to clean up areas in Red Rock Canyon and Mount Charleston. In high school, he took on a number of leadership positions, including president of the Science National Honor Society, captain of both basketball and swim teams, and founder of a historical film club. Ari also volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, with which he has a personal connection. His sister, who was born with a congenital birth disorder, required a major surgery to improve her quality of life. The Ronald McDonald House gave his family a place to stay while his sister was recovering. At the University of Redlands, Ari is interested in majoring in chemistry, as well as performing research in congenital birth defects. This work would be in his sister’s honor who has overcome tremendous adversity, and is still today, Ari’s greatest role model.
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
High School: Parkview High School
Darquez Morrison is always looking on the bright side. A first-generation college student from Springfield, Missouri, he is a Jack-of-all-trades as a member of his high school’s swimming, football, and basketball teams, a math scholar, and Rotary International Club member, while also notching a position in the top 15% of his class and being awarded for excellence in English and science. As a result of his involvement, Morrison realized that he has a passion for helping and including people. As student body president, he made necessary changes for all student voices to be heard and considered. After growing up always wanting to attend college, Morrison looks forward to studying Chemistry, with the hope of becoming a dentist, and getting to know his classmates as soon as students are welcomed back to campus.
