Student Named 2026 Avel Gordly Scholar

Recognizing Excellence in Education

Ava S. Cabine

Ava S. Cabine, member of the Clackamas High School class of 2026, is named the fourth winner of the Avel Louise Gordly Scholarship for Oregon Black Women. Cabine received a $3,500 scholarship, renewable to support four years at her “dream school,” Spelman College.

At Clackamas High School, Ava was active in the Black Student Union and the Varsity Dance Team. She was also part of the student council and a member of the National Honor Society.

One of her proudest accomplishments at Clackamas was founding a poetry club where students could explore their voices and share without judgement. Ava’s community service includes activities with the Portland Willamette Chapter of the Jack and Jill Society of America as well as Kairos PDX Charter School. Theater is a passion. “From the moment I stepped onto a stage, I knew art was a part of who I am.” Ava’s theatrical talent has been recognized by the Mount Hood Conference One Act Competition and the Next Narrative Monologue Competition. “Not everyone has had access to the feeling of belonging in the arts,” she noted in her application. “I plan to use my legal education to help build and protect creative spaces where future generations can thrive.”

Ava Cabine is from a family that values education, with two members already in college. “My goal is to become an entertainment lawyer because I want to help bridge the inequality gaps in the performing arts industry for performers of color,” she told the committee. “I want to give a huge thank you to the Avel Gordy Scholarship Committee for selecting me for this award and helping make this amazing opportunity possible.”

The committee was impressed with Cabine’s achievements as well as her keen sense of intergenerational obligation. “We were unanimous that Ava was the top candidate from a strong pool,” noted award committee chair Carmen Thompson.”

The Avel Louise Gordly Scholarship provides four years of financial support to a Black female graduate of an Oregon high school. Funds can be used at any institution of higher education in the state or at any of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States. More information for student applicants is available at the Scholarship Blog. The scholarship, housed with the Oregon Community Foundation, is still raising money toward its $1MM goal. Donations are welcome online at www.oregoncf.org/gordly-scholarship or by check to OCF, 1221 SW Yamhill Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97205.

Avel Gordly (1947-2026) was born in Portland and graduated from Girls Polytechnic High School and then Portland State University. She held positions in the Oregon Department of Corrections, the Urban League of Portland, and the American Friends Service Committee. She was a leader within the Black United Front, a group that pushed for reform within Portland Public Schools. She also coordinated Oregon’s divestment from Apartheid in Southern Africa. In 1996, Gordly became the first Black woman elected to the Oregon State Senate, representing NE Portland.

The Gordly Center for Healing at Oregon Health and Sciences University was established to provide culturally competent mental health care to diverse patients in recognition of Gordly’s work on this issue. In 2011, she published a memoir Remembering the Power of Words: The Life of an Oregon Activist, Legislator, and Community Leader with OSU press. Among her numerous honors and recognitions, Gordly was awarded an honorary doctorate from PSU in 2017.