William Dennis Wiley and Alyssiah M. Wiley Scholarship Fund

Evelyn Streater-Frizzle is a longtime volunteer and civic activist. She has remained engaged in her community since retiring from Yale as associate director in the facilities department after a 40-year career with the university. In addition to volunteering with her church and the LINKS, she was the 18th Northeast Governor of NANBPWC, Inc., and is a member of the New Haven Club, NANBPWC, Inc., for over 30 years. She is a proud member of the Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, where she has held many leadership positions. She has served on numerous boards within New Haven County, such as  Christian Community Action, Marrakech, and the Montessori School on Edgewood.    

When Streater-Frizzle decided to start a fund at The Community Foundation as part of the Vineyard Project in New Haven, she knew she wanted it to be a scholarship fund. She had served on numerous scholarship committees, and education was always important to her. She received her bachelor’s degree from Albertus Magnus and her MBA from the University of New Haven, and she has emphasized the importance of higher education to her children and grandchildren. 

She decided to name her fund the William Dennis Wiley and Alyssiah M. Wiley Scholarship Fund in memory of her son and granddaughter, whose lives were tragically cut short.  While William, a basketball-loving Hillhouse High School graduate, and Alyssiah, a Hillhouse High School graduate and student at Eastern Connecticut State University, were denied the opportunity to complete their college education, she hopes her fund will help and inspire others to complete theirs. 

“For over 30 years I’ve worked with organizations that have been instrumental in giving back to the community and that have recognized the importance of education,” says Streater-Frizzle.  “This endowed fund will support scholarships through the Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, honoring the causes and people important to me.”