Exceptional South Bay Student Wins Prestigious Scholarship – Patch
MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — With several accomplishments at such a young age, Mira Costa High School graduate Alyssa Finigan is on a clear mission to build up her legacy, and a new prestigious scholarship she just won has her one step closer to accomplishing her goal.
Finigan is one of 11 students in Los Angeles County to receive the 2025 Milken Scholar Award. The $10,000 scholarship is awarded to standout applicants who, along with having exceptional academic performance, show leadership, perseverance and are invaluable members of their community.
In addition to funding, Finigan will receive lifelong access to college advising, career counseling, intership assistance and community service opportunities, according to the Milken Family Foundation. She plans to study sociology and international relations at Barnard College in New York.
“Alyssa Finigan gleans wisdom from her setbacks and successes to advocate for youth mental health and justice of the law,” according to the foundation. “A graduate of Mira Costa High School, she hopes to break into the political sphere to improve the criminal justice system.”
During her high school career, Finigan served as a sergeant-at-arms for the California State Assembly through the California Boys and Girls State. In her time there, she passed the mock California Bar.
In 2024, she was named the 2024 National AP Scholar with Distinction, was a member of the National Honor Society and received other prestigious scholarships, according to the foundation.
She started a Model United Nations youth program and was a youth speaker at city council meetings in her community, according to the foundation. Finigan also tutored in underserved communities and taught coding to kids through the Coding for Change club, according to the foundation.
The Milken Scholars Program was established in 1989 and features a rigorous nomination, application and interview process. Nearly 600 students from more than 80 countries have been selected to be part of the program since its inception, according to the foundation.
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