Class of 2025 - 11th Grade
Marshall Fundamental Student Awarded HOBY Leadership Scholarship
Kaitlan Sakuma, a rising junior at Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, has been named the recipient of the Miguel Sanchez Scholarship for the 2023 Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) World Leadership Congress in Chicago. She received the award at the HOBY Los Angeles Leadership Seminar closing ceremony, where she was the only student out of over 130 attendees to receive the scholarship.
The scholarship covers tuition, housing, meals, and program costs for the World Leadership Congress, which will feature keynote speakers, workshops, and team-building activities. Sakuma will have the opportunity to connect with student leaders from around the world at the Loyola University Lakeshore Campus in Chicago.
Sakuma’s mother, Jeanne Sakuma, was in the audience and expressed her surprise at the announcement, stating that Kaitlan was “grateful and honored” to be selected. Maria Torres, Kaitlan’s counselor, noted that this was a “big honor” for the student, who will represent Marshall Fundamental, Pasadena, and the greater Los Angeles area.
Sakuma has demonstrated leadership and service through her involvement in clubs such as Key Club, Asian Club, the National Honor Society, and the Science National Honor Society. She has served in several cabinet positions and is currently the ASB Secretary for the 2023-2024 school year. She is also a student-athlete, having played on the Girls Basketball, Track and Field, Girls Golf and Cross Country teams, and serving as co-captain of the Girls’ Basketball Team. She has been a member of the Girls Scouts of America since elementary school and has completed her Silver Award.
Marshall Fundamental Secondary School serves students in grades sixth through 12th and offers programs such as the Academy for Creative Industries, the Puente Project, and the AP Capstone Diploma Program. The school received the California Civic Engagement Award of Excellence in 2018.