From the halls of West Contra Costa schools to the front lines of community health and tech innovation, the recipients of the Chevron Richmond Black Employee Network (BEN) Scholarship are making Richmond proud.
Since 2004, the Chevron Richmond BEN has been awarding scholarships to excelling high school students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. The scholarships are in honor of Dr. William F. King, a renowned African American Chemical Engineer, mentor, community activist, and Chevron employee of over 27 years.
Every year during Black History Month, the Standard highlights the current cohort of talented scholars. This month, we’re going a step further to spotlight former scholarship recipients who aren’t just “finding their way” in the world; they’re leading it.
Victoria Leftridge (2007 Scholar)
Victoria has built a multifaceted career focused on wellness, healing, and education. A Spelman alumna and former teacher, she owns and operates Leftside Management while also working in higher education as an adjunct professor and Field Placement Director in multiple master’s programs for MFT and PCC students. Passionate about educating the next generation of therapists, Victoria’s work emphasizes whole‑person wellness—mind, body, and spirit—helping individuals move beyond trauma and PTSD toward living life well. She also shares insight and encouragement as a co‑host of the Essence of Sisterhood podcast. Her Linktree can be found here.
Shannon Culpepper (2014 Scholar)
Shannon is dedicated to the health of our local community. As a population health specialist at LifeLong Medical Care, she helps serve over 55,000 individuals across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Her background is deep in service, ranging from working as an AmeriCorps health fellow to previously mentoring students in the Haas School of Business Boost program at UC Berkeley.
Olana Abraham (2022 Scholar)
Olana is already making his mark in the tech industry. He will be joining Microsoft as a Software Engineer after completing his degree at UCLA, building on his previous internship with the company as well as his earlier roles here at Chevron and with Amazon. He also holds leadership roles with the National Society of Black Engineers and serves as a youth educator for The Hidden Genius Project.
These professionals represent the lasting impact of the Chevron Richmond BEN Scholarship. Their success embodies its mission: to invest in students today who will become the leaders of tomorrow.
Want to learn more? Visit Chevron Richmond’s scholarship page here.
