Please mail all scholarship application materials to:
Sonoma County JACL Scholarship Committee
C/O Janet Tajii
515 Petaluma Ave
Sebastopol, CA 95472
For Graduating High School Seniors:
Due Date: College freshman scholarship application must be postmarked by March 10, 2022
Scholarship application material required:
- Completed Sonoma County JACL Freshman Scholarship Application
- Listing of scholastic honors
- High school activites
- Work history
- Community involvement with emphasis on JACL involvement
- Personal statement
- 2 letters of reference
- 1 copy of an official transcript* – Must remain sealed to be considered official
All applications must be complete at the time of submission and meet the stated deadline in order to be considered. Materials may not be submitted separately.
Download Application for JACL High School Scholarships
Jim Murakami Memorial Scholarship – $3000

Requirements:
- JACL Membership (student, parent, or grandparent of Sonoma and/or Marin County Chapter) 1+ years
- 3.8+ weighted GPA
- Emphasis on JACL involvement
This scholarship is dedicated to the memory of James F. Murakami. He was a man who served his country and stood up for the rights of others. Besides his dedication and service to our local chapter, serving as president for many years as well as keeping track of our activities and duties, he served as a National President of the JACL. He was instrumental in the redress efforts, both locally and nationally. He also served as one of the founding advisors to the local youth group, initially known as the Sonoma County Jr. JACL.
Frank Oda Memorial Scholarship – $1500

Requirements:
- JACL Membership (student, parent, or grandparent of Sonoma and/or Marin County Chapter) 1+ years
- 3.5 weighted GPA
- Emphasis on community involvement
This scholarship is dedicated to the memory of Frank Oda. He served three times our Sonoma County JACL president. He served as our administrator, tracking activities and duties and keeping people informed and involved. He was a recipient of the Biennium Award in 1972. Frank dedicated a lot of time and effort to promote JACL and worked to benefit our community.
Sonoma County JACL Scholarship – $1500
Requirements:
- JACL Membership (student, parent, or grandparent of Sonoma and/or Marin County Chapter) 1+ years
- 3.5 weighted GPA
This is one of our original freshman scholarships available to qualified high school graduates.
Petaluma Japanese Sunday School Scholarships (2) – $1000 each
Requirements:
- 3.0 weighted GPA
- Japanese ancestry
- One scholarship required residency in Sonoma County, the other scholarship required residence in Sonoma County AND high school attendance at Cotati/Rohnert Park or Petaluma High School Districts
Sonoma County JACL Student Grant – $1000
Requirements:
- Demonstration of financial need
This grant of $1000.00 will be awarded on a one-time basis to a qualified applicant who demonstrated financial need for pursuing his or her education. The applicant must fill out the financial information to be qualified for this scholarship.
For College Juniors/Seniors
Margaret Wallman Upper Division Scholarship – $1500
Due Date: Scholarship applications must be postmarked by March 10, 2022
Download Application for Margaret Wallman Scholarship
Margaret Wallman was a dedicated member of the Sonoma County JACL. From the beginning, she became our scholarship committee chairman and facilitated application, judging and awarding of scholarship throughout her life. She believed in higher education and also felt that freshmen should not be the only ones to apply for a scholarship as upper division students also need assistance.
For Students Attending Graduate School in Healthcare
Faye Uyeda Medical Scholarship – $2500
Due Date: Scholarship applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2022
Download Application for Faye Uyeda Medical Scholarship
Download Application to Renew Faye Uyeda Medical Scholarship
Faye Uyeda was a dedicated member of the Sonoma County JACL and upon her death, she named the Sonoma County Chapter of the JACL as one of her organizations that she supported. Since she was always interested in the medical field and supported them as a hospital volunteer throughout her life, we established the Faye Uyeda Medical scholarship in her honor.
For Any Sonoma County JACL Member Wishing to Further Their Education or Pursue Knowledge
Marie Mariko Sugiyama Continuing Education Grant (10) – $250 each
Due Date: This is an ongoing program that provides up to 10 grants a year. Applications can be submitted at any time.
Download Application for Marie Mariko Sugiyama Continuing Education Grant
For more information on JACL Scholarships, email:
scholarships@sonomacountyjacl.org