The recipients of the 2025-26 Scholarship for BIPOC Students are: (Row 1) Mireya Aleman (photo provided by Mireya Aleman), Fernando Daza (Photo by Meagan Godzisz), Shana Green (photo provided by Shana Green), (Row 2) Makinto (photo provided by Makinto), Mukarabe Lysaine Makinto-Inandava (photo by Makinto), Maria Renee Martinez (photo by Abenezer Shimeles Dejene/AMBS), (Row 3) Daniel Imori Mtoka (Photo provided by Daniel Imori Mtoka), Ivonne Ortiz (photo by James Korn) and Jonny Rashid (photo by Hana Lehmann.)
Mennonite Church USA has announced the recipients of the 2025-26 Scholarship for BIPOC Students. Nine students received scholarships from three partner schools.
The Scholarship for BIPOC Students was created to support students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color, who are members or active participants of an MC USA congregation, and who are attending or plan to attend an MC USA-affiliated Mennonite college, university or seminary.
“This scholarship is an investment in the future of church leadership,” said MC USA Associate Executive Director Michael Danner. “Our partner schools provide excellent undergraduate and graduate education shaped by an Anabaptist lens, helping carry forward the educational vision of MC USA: forming faithful disciples of Jesus. We hope that it inspires emerging leaders to finish their studies and remain committed to serving the church.” Danner oversees MC USA’s Mennonite Education ministry, formerly Mennonite Education Agency.
Please join MC USA in acknowledging and praying for the recipients of the 2025-26 Scholarship for BIPOC Students:
Awardee: Mireya Aleman, Goshen College
Mireya Aleman is a second-year student at Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., pursuing a double major in Art and History. She hopes to become a museum curator and to “uplift those who want to share their voices and art with the world, specifically emphasizing BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices.” Aleman attends College Mennonite Church in Goshen.
Awardee: Fernando Daza, Goshen College
Fernando Daza is a senior at Goshen College, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Peace, Justice and Conflict, with a double major in Business. His long-term goal is to work in finance or human resource management, specifically in a role that allows him to support underrepresented communities. “I plan to use my education to bridge the gap between financial literacy and social impact,” he wrote on his application. He attends Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen.
Awardee: Shana Green, Eastern Mennonite Seminary
Shana Green is the pastor of New Creation Fellowship Church, Newton, Kansas, and is in their first year at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Virginia. They are pursuing a Master of Divinity degree to deepen theological understanding, strengthen leadership skills and be better equipped to care for the people whom God has entrusted to them.
Awardee: Makinto, Eastern Mennonite University
Makinto is associate pastor, worship leader and musical director at Los Angeles Faith Chapel, Los Angeles, Cal., and co-director of Amahoro International, a conference-related ministry of Mosaic Mennonite Conference. An international recording artist, he is also founder and director of Joyful Music & Arts Music Academy in Rolling Hills Estates. Makinto is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Christian Leadership at Eastern Mennonite University.
Awardee: Mukarabe Lysaine Makinto-Inandava, Eastern Mennonite University
Mukarabe Lysaine Makinto-Inandava is pursuing a Master of Conflict Transformation degree at Eastern Mennonite University. She is the chief peace and executive officer for Amahoro International, a conference-related ministry of Mosaic Mennonite Conference and, with her husband, Makinto (above), is co-owner of Joyful Music & Arts Music Academy in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Awardee: Maria Renee Martinez, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Maria Renee Martinez is working to complete a graduate certificate in Theological Studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. “I feel called to confront the misuse of theology that causes harm and perpetuates oppression. The Mennonite commitment to peace, justice and care for the most vulnerable compels me to challenge theological narratives that prioritize control, fear or exclusion over love and liberation,” Martinez wrote on her application. She attends Assembly Mennonite Church in Goshen.
Awardee: Daniel Imori Mtoka, Goshen College
Daniel Imori Mtoka is a first-year student at Goshen College, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Math, with a minor in Music. He hopes to teach math with “kindness, care and patience.” He attends College Mennonite Church in Goshen.
Awardee: Ivonne Ortiz, Goshen College
Ivonne Ortiz is a senior at Goshen College, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She also serves as the Goshen College student representative on the MCC Great Lakes Board of Directors. Ortiz looks forward to a career in marketing and business, where she is committed to keeping the common good at the heart of her work. “The business world, when approached with intention, can be a powerful tool for social good, whether that’s through ethical marketing, advocating for sustainability, or ensuring that diverse voices are represented,” she wrote on her application. Ortiz attends Eighth Street Mennonite in Goshen. She was also a 2024 recipient of the Scholarship for BIPOC Students.
Awardee: Jonny Rashid, Eastern Mennonite Seminary
Jonny Rashid is pastor of West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, Philadelphia, Pa. He is pursuing a doctorate in Ministry degree at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. “I want to disciple people in the way of Jesus as understood by Anabaptists for 500 years,” Rashid wrote on his application, adding, “I continually wonder how to make the next generation follow Jesus in the same way. I am honored to submit myself to this cause.”
How to apply for a scholarship
Scholarship applications for the 2026-27 academic year are due April 1, 2026. More information can be found at www.mennoniteeducation.org/schools/mea-scholarship-for-bipoc-students.
How to support the scholarship program
Tax-deductible contributions to the scholarship can be made online at https://secure.myvanco.com/YM1N/campaign/C-162JP. Please make checks payable to Mennonite Church USA memo: BIPOC Scholarship and mail to 718 N Main St, Newton, KS 67114-1706.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org
Written by Camille Dager.