Abby’s Closet has been proud to offer our Dreams Scholarship since 2011 to applicants who best embody the spirit and mission of the organization. To date, 34 scholarships have been awarded totaling $52,500.

We are proud to have awarded nearly $10,000 in 2025 to four outstanding high school seniors.

2025 Recipients

Anika Thomas

Parkrose High School, Portland, OR

TRADE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP: Anika Thomas is a senior at Parkrose High School. She plans to attend either Aveda institute to become a licensed esthetician or attend Galen University in Las Vegas where she is from to become a registered nurse to then become an Aesthetic nurse. In her free she coaches a youth cheer team. She is also involved in her schools basketball team where she was also the team captain. Anika is very invested with her family and loves to travel and take trips with them in her free time when she is not working or coaching.

Salema Shiferaw

Parkrose High School, Portland, OR

4-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP: I’m Salema! I love helping my community through volunteering, supporting immigrant families, and working with elders and youth. I’m planning to study nursing at Portland State University so I can keep making a difference and helping people. 

Caden Christensen

Amity High School, Amity, OR

COMMUNITY COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: Caden is a Senior at Amity High School and next year plans to attend Chemeketa Community College, then transfer to Oregon State University for a major in Forestry and a minor in Agriculture Science. She plans to open her own business as a craftsman and equstrian trainer. She is an active member of her school's National Honor Society, and participates as a varsity athlete on the soccer, wrestling, trap and skeet shooting, OHSET, and golf team. During high school she has volunteered over 2,000 hours to Butte Creek Scout Ranch, teaching youth how to ride horses, and has been a campaign leader for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for two years. All through high school she has worked diligently to excel in her many collegiate classes and has the highest current GPA of her graduating class. She loves serving her community and is excited for a future full of adventure and discovery!!

Victoria Huynh

Franklin High School, Portland, OR

ELAINE A. DAVIS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Victoria Huynh is the proud daughter of two Vietnamese immigrants and is a senior at Franklin High School. She plans to double major in Biology and Public Health, with hopes of becoming a women’s nurse or epidemiologist focused on disease prevention and supporting people during their most vulnerable moments. At school, she leads Franklin’s Red Cross Club, working closely with her 11-person board to organize school-wide blood drives and volunteer events. Through this work, she’s donated hundreds of hygiene kits and handwritten letters to organizations like Rose Haven and Rahab’s Sisters. She also serves as secretary of the Asian American Association and competes on one of Franklin’s Varsity Mock Trial teams (Go Gray!). Outside of school, Victoria is in her third year with Teen Council, teaching sex ed in Portland-area schools and providing her unique perspective on the region’s Planned Parenthood Educational Committee. She brings civic engagement to her community as a member of Next Up Oregon’s Youth Action Team and Board of Directors. She’s also an intern for Divison Midway Alliance, a nonprofit organization with a focus on supporting underserved communities. In her free time, you’ll find her playing tennis or taking unexpectedly long naps.