Marc-Aurele Eboa Ebongue and Mohamed Bella Kamara named 2024-25 scholarship recipients 

New York, N.Y. (September 4, 2024) – Two Stella and Charles Guttman Community College (“Guttman”) students have been awarded the Amadou Diallo Foundation (ADF) scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year. In partnership with ADF, Guttman has awarded the scholarship to current students Marc-Aurele Eboa Ebongue and Mohamed Bella Kamara.  

The ADF recognized the Guttman students for outstanding academic success during their first year at the College. Covering full tuition and fees, the scholarships embody the ADF’s mission to promote racial equity and social justice, particularly by creating access for underserved youth to professional careers and higher education.  

“We deeply appreciate this investment in Guttman students. Mrs. Diallo’s generosity will help lower financial obstacles and empower students to reach their dreams,” said Dr. Larry Johnson, Guttman president. 

Amadou Diallo was slain by New York City police officers on February 4, 1999, as he was set to begin his college education at Bronx Community College. In 2001, Kadiatou Diallo, Amadou’s mother, established the ADF to create a legacy that would honor her son’s life and dreams for the future. 

“I am thrilled that our partnership with Guttman Community College continues to deepen. The ADF is now covering full tuition and fees for two students. The two students we selected this year are successful students already. Having our support will allow them to focus even more on their studies as they prepare to finish their course of study at Guttman and go on to senior colleges. They live my Amadou’s dream to attend college. I am confident they will have a positive impact on the world as he would have had,” said Mrs. Diallo. “We are so grateful to President Larry Johnson and others at Guttman for working with us on this partnership, which we value so much.” 

Scholarship applicants were required to submit an essay about their most important values and beliefs, career goals and reasons for applying, and finalists were invited to a Zoom interview. Final award decisions were made by members of the Board of Directors of the Amadou Diallo Foundation with assistance from Dr. Cristina Ortiz-Harvey, director of Financial Aid. 

Guttman is one of two CUNY schools, along with Bronx Community College, that has a partnership with the ADF. The Amadou Diallo Memorial Scholarship is a cornerstone program of the ADF, and Guttman is the ADF’s most recent partner among CUNY colleges. Partial tuition scholarships were offered to Guttman students beginning in 2019, and the ADF deepened the program for the 2023-24 academic year by covering full tuition and all fees. Working in concert with Guttman’s Financial Aid office, a total of ten Guttman students have been awarded crucial support by the ADF, including the scholarships given for the 2024-25 academic year.  

In addition to the Amadou Diallo Memorial Scholarship program, the ADF hosts community events that bring activists, academics, students, and policymakers together to further the cause of equity and social justice for all. In West Africa, the organization continues to maintain the ADF Computer Center in Conakry, Guinea, where students learn how to code and leverage digital technology to build careers and support their families. 

Meet the Fall 2024 ADF Scholarship Recipients 

Marc-Aurele Eboa Ebongue 
Marc-Aurele Eboa Ebongue is a second-year liberal arts major. He has been active in Guttman’s Student Government Association, and he serves as a delegate for the CUNY-wide Student Senate. His family is originally from Cameroon, and they also lived in France for several years. After he graduates from Guttman, Marc plans to transfer to a senior college and pursue a degree in political science. 

Mohamed Bella Kamara 
Mohamed Bella Kamara is a second-year student business major who came to NYC from Sierra Leone. Mohamed is particularly interested in business ethics and sustainability. Passionate about sports, he enjoys playing soccer and handball.  Mohamed speaks Krio and Mandingo in addition to English. He is particularly interested in business ethics and sustainability. After graduating from Guttman and earning a business degree at a senior college, Mohamed looks forward to creating his own business. 

About Guttman 

Stella and Charles Guttman Community College was CUNY’s first new community college in more than forty years. Reimagining what community college could be, Guttman opened its doors in Manhattan in August 2012 to create a research-based, innovative model focused on moving students efficiently toward graduation. Offering associate degree programs in a nurturing environment, the College’s three-year graduation rate consistently surpasses the national average, and most graduates transfer to senior colleges. Guttman is federally designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and minority-serving institution with more than 85% of the student population identifying as Latine or Black/African American. The College was named the best community college in America in 2020 and the top community college in New York State for 2020, 2021 and 2022 by Niche.com and other ranking agencies.