Matthew Stewart, Animo Watts Charter High School, Senior, Athlete, Scholar, Future Aerospace Engineer.

Contribute to Matthew's fund

Goal: $20,000 by the end of May

About Matthew Stewart
Matthew is a senior at Animo Watts Charter High School. He is a gifted baseball player and top student who has been accepted to every school he has applied to. Matthew has been offered $9,000-$10,000 scholarships at several schools. His top choices are University of Washington and
Tuskegee.

Baseball Statistics
Matthew has played since he was 3. He has been varsity at Locke the last 3 years, before that he was at another school and is co-captain of the team again this year. He plays center field.

He goes to prospect camps. That's how he gets asked to play. Last year he was picked by the White Sox. Recently he went to Seattle and was asked to come to play (all expenses paid) for this summer.

Acceptances:
Florida A&M, Florida Tech, Tuskegee (with a scholarship), Hofstra, San Jose State, Southern Utah State, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Baylor (with a scholarship), Georgia Southern and University of New Mexico.

Matthew participated in the Young Angels Busted 101 taping, and can be seen on our You Tube Channel. He is mentored by his teacher Constance Salomone, who also leads our Young Angels after-school program in Watts.

Mentor/Teacher Recommendation
I have had the pleasure of knowing Matthew for 3 years now. He is a great student and a gifted athlete. He has a lot to contribute to the aerospace community, and looks forward to getting the education he needs to work in this field. He set goals in his junior year to earn straight A’s in all of his classes and he did. He has continued that goal this year and is taking all honors classes. His hard work and dedication to baseball makes him a leader on the team. Matthew applied to more schools than any other senior in our school and so far has been accepted to all of them. His first choice is University of Washington followed by Tuskegee.

Matthew’s Essay to Young Angels Scholarship Program
Going to college is not just about receiving an education, but pursuing a lifelong career. Unlike most of my peers I understand that a college education is able to give me the extra push I need in life to be successful. Going to college is not just something I want to do, it is a need. As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles I am surrounded by bad examples. To choose a different path shows the world that I am capable of achieving more than most. I will have the education, the experience, and the connections to establish my own aerospace engineering corporation.

Being the youngest in my family and the first to go to college will give me not only an escape from a poverty-infested neighborhood, but a way to fulfill my dreams. In order to change the world I must first change myself and college is the first step.

Click here to see the videos

Pacific Palisades attorney Streve Cron (right) will appear on Wednesday's BUSTED 101 panel with comedian Kenji Thomas at Kehillat Israel.

Busted 101 to Address Teens and the Legal Justice System

2011-12-08
Whether you are a college student occupying the quad, a high school student who gets caught at the wrong party at the wrong time, or you have experienced contrasting treatment from law enforcement based on the zip code you're in, it's important to know your rights.

  With police brutality in the headlines, crime in affluent neighborhoods on the rise and racial tensions looming, many people have questions about the law and how our legal system works. If your have concerns or questions on anything from pepper spray to search warrants, BUSTED 101 provides the opportunity for students and community members to get answers in a positive, open forum.

  Young Angels of America, a Pacific Palisades-based community service organization, has teamed up young comedians and top-notch legal professionals to create BUSTED 101: 'Myths vs. Reality in the Legal Justice System.' The event is free to the public and will be held at Kehillat Israel Synagogue (Sunset at Muskingum) on Wednesday, December 14 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

  The event will be facilitated by Cyn Yamashiro, executive director of the Center for Juvenile Justice at Loyola Law School.

  Panelists will include Lieutenant Howard Leslie of the Los Angeles Police Department; Palisadian Steve Cron, a criminal defense attorney and member of the Palisades Community Council; comedians Kenji Thomas, Jimmy Ouyang, Roberto Rodriguez and Edwonda White (first recipient of Black Entertainment Television's (B.E.T.) Comedienne of The Year Award), and more.

  Each comic will share his or her personal experiences with law enforcement while living in diverse cities (from Phoenix to Compton), and their thoughts on the legal system. The panelists will also answer audience questions.

  'Young people need a safe space to get answers to real questions, like 'Is it okay for your boyfriend to put his drugs in your purse?' or 'What is the correct reaction to being handcuffed at a demonstration?'' said Highlands resident Brook Dougherty, executive director of Young Angels of America.

  She added, 'A panel like this is hugely important, especially with all the misinformation teens have about drugs and alcohol and the law, and often their almost complete ignorance about what is smart and what is stupid.'

  BUSTED 101 panels will continue into 2012, when the Young Angels host multiple forums to engage youth, students and community members in discussions on justice and the law.

  Refreshments will be provided following the panel; during this time guests can speak one-on-one with the panelists. Young Angels will also offer high school students one hour of community service for attending. For more information, visit their Web site at www.youngangelsofamerica.com

or www.facebook.com/youngangelsofamerica