As a part of the club’s celebration of Black History Month in February, Republic FC partnered with the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce to present a $1,000 scholarship to a local student as a part of the Indomitable Scholars series. Following a thorough review process by a group of Republic FC and SBCC staff, as well as a few Republic FC players, the club awarded Marleah Berry the first Indomitable Scholars award of 2022 on the pitch during Sacramento’s friendly match against Monterey Bay FC.
Berry is a senior at Christian Brothers High School. From a young age, she devoted much of her time to working with children, initially helping her mother – a preschool teacher in Sacramento – with a myriad of tasks to better the experience and care of her young students. Eventually, she moved on to volunteering, tutoring, and even served as a children’s camp counselor, supporting kids of all ages in the classroom and out in the world. At each stop, she’s taken every opportunity to go above and beyond and offer more than she signed up to provide, ensuring every child she worked with got the attention they needed.
“Whenever I work with children, I am pulled into the world in which they live—a world of innocence, adventure, and joy,” says Berry. “Children inspire me to approach every problem with optimism, and to absorb every new piece of information I can, as I did when I was their age. Whether I’m admiring their finger paintings or reviewing their multiplication tables, the brutal honesty and contagious giggles of the children I work with never fail to make me smile.”
Following her graduation this spring, Berry plans to pursue a four-year degree in psychology, and eventually a career as a child psychologist. Long-term, she wants to give children the tools to grow, and work towards creating a future where every child has a healthy environment to live in from the very beginning.
Each year, the Indomitable Scholars series has recognized students in the Sacramento region who show exceptional scholastic leadership and community involvement. Since 2019, the program has helped six local students pursue their educational goals and move on to two or four-year colleges and universities in partnership with local organizations. Republic FC plans to honor additional students for their service to the Sacramento community later this year.
