Statewide
A Scholarship That Carries a Groundbreaking Legacy Forward
By: Paige Parker
OCF Public Relations Manager
The Avel Louise Gordly Scholarship connects student Ava Simone Cabine to generations of Black women leaders by honoring the life and vision of Oregon's first woman state senator.
Ava Simone Cabine cried when she heard she’d been awarded a scholarship named for the first Black woman elected to the Oregon Senate, but she was all smiles at an Oregon Community Foundation reception in her honor.
Friends, mentees, admirers and colleagues of Sen. Avel Louise Gordly gathered this summer to celebrate the civil rights leader’s legacy and Ava’s future as a first-year student at Spelman College. Ava will major in economics on a pre-law track and minor in theater and performance at the historically Black college in Atlanta. She intends to pursue a career as an entertainment attorney. 
Dr. Carmen Thompson, Dr. Patricia Schechter, Ava Simone Combine and OCF President and CEO Lisa Mensah
The Avel Louise Gordly Scholarship for Oregon Black Women Fund is administered by OCF. Ava will receive a $3,500 scholarship, renewable annually for four years, as well as a laptop from Free Geek and technical support from the Portland-based nonprofit. She’s the fourth recipient of the scholarship, which is funded by donations starting at $25.
“When someone wins this award, they don’t just get a check. They are stitched into history,” said Dr. Patricia Schechter, who co-founded the scholarship fund at OCF with Dr. Carmen Thompson to honor their friend. “We are now Team Ava.”
Honoring a Legacy of Leadership and Education
Sen. Gordly died earlier this year at age 79. Known as the “conscience of the state Senate,” she began her legislative career in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing parts of North and Northeast Portland, where she was raised. She went on to serve three terms in the Oregon Senate.
“She was not only respected. She was beloved,” said Lane Shetterly, a former OCF Board Chair who served with Sen. Gordly in the House.
Sen. Avel Gordly
Sen. Gordly championed education, having experienced its transformational power. She graduated from Girls Polytechnic High School and earned a degree in the administration of justice from Portland State University. After retiring from the Legislature, she taught as an associate professor in Black Studies at PSU. In 2017, the university awarded her an honorary doctorate of letters.
Dr. Thompson said the scholarship recognizes the unique experiences of Black women in Oregon.
“Avel didn’t want finances to stop other budding Avels from becoming who they were meant to be,” she said.
Sharing the ‘Oregon Spirit’
Ava said she began building a spreadsheet of scholarships in middle school to prepare to finance her education at Spelman, her dream school.
“I didn’t know scholarships for Black students still existed,” said Ava, who plans to improve access to the entertainment business for Black and Brown artists.
OCF President and CEO Lisa Mensah encouraged Ava to be brave on the road ahead.
“We have a special state that has its own history, and you’re part of that. Keep your Oregon spirit,” Mensah said. “You are our hope.”