PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) — Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard launched a new scholarship program this year, offering students from nine Bay Area high schools the opportunity to receive $25,000 annually to attend Portland State University.
The first Damian Lillard Scholar enrolled at Portland State this fall. Kayla Sisivat, from Lillard’s hometown of Oakland, California, is the inaugural recipient of the scholarship that covers nearly all expenses for a four-year college education.
Sisivat lost her father to cancer as a toddler and was raised by a single mother. She experienced personal trauma growing up in Oakland.
“I went through a lot of personal trauma,” Sisivat said. “It was just hard always constantly worrying is my mom going to make it home, is my sister safe. It just takes a toll on you.”
During her early high school years, anxiety and depression affected her academic performance. Seeing how her depression impacted her mother motivated her to make changes.
“It gave me that ambition and drive to succeed in school and to push myself whether I wanted to give up or not,” she said.
Lillard visited the Bay Area during All-Star Weekend and stopped by his alma mater, Oakland High School, to announce the scholarship program. The initiative offers students from nine East Bay high schools $25,000 annual scholarships to attend Portland State University.
“I wanted to do something really impactful, you know, not just attach my name to something,” Lillard said. “I want to help a lot of the kids from my area that really want to do more for themselves they just don’t have the resources or support to do it.”
Damian Lillard with scholarship recipients(KPTV)
Lillard said his experience at Oakland High School shaped his approach to the scholarship program. The basketball coaching staff taught him discipline, how to accept constructive criticism and how to set high standards.
“When I got to Oakland High, it was school gets out and then we had study hall,” Lillard said. “I’m thinking go goof off, play and then we’re going to go to practice, but it was serious and most of the people on the team had 3.8, 4.0 so it just taught me a different level of structure and discipline.”
Sisivat was unaware of Oakland High School’s famous alumnus when he visited her school.
“It was honestly a surprise. I didn’t know who was coming to school and everybody like all the athletes were seeming so excited,” she said. “My friend told me it was Damian Lillard and I was like who is that? I had no idea who that was and then I found out oh he’s here to give us a scholarship.”
Several students applied for the scholarship, and Sisivat was chosen. Lillard said he prioritizes students who demonstrate grit and determination over test scores, GPAs or family financial need.
“Just that story, that type of desire and knowing that we reached someone that needed it and that is going to help them continue to grow and have an opportunity like this, I think that’s the fulfilling story for me personally because those are the people I want to reach,” he said.
Sisivat is majoring in psychology and plans to work with children experiencing trauma as a school psychologist or therapist.
“It makes me feel like I had a purpose. That everything I survived gave me this opportunity,” she said. “That everything I went through to get here was worth it.”
The scholarship provides $25,000 annually for four years of college education, covering tuition, food, housing and transportation between Portland and the Bay Area.
“It changes their trajectory. That’s all it is for me, you know, I count that as a win,” Lillard said.
_Copyright 2025 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved._