Celebrating Our First Purple One Scholars: Jeremiah Voeun and Cesar Carmona Felipe

Oakland Lacrosse Club is proud to celebrate the first two recipients of the Purple One Scholarship: Jeremiah Voeun and Cesar Carmona Felipe.

The Purple One Scholarship was created to honor leadership that makes a lasting impact on a team and a community. It recognizes student-athletes who lead with heart, show up for others, and carry the values of Oakland Lacrosse with them far beyond the field.

Jeremiah and Cesar are the first scholars to receive this award, and they represent exactly what the Purple One Scholarship was created to celebrate: resilience, commitment, humility, and love for the game.

Jeremiah Voeun: Leading with resilience and responsibility

Jeremiah has been part of Oakland Lacrosse for seven years. During that time, he grew as a player, teammate, Summer Ambassador, and leader. But what makes Jeremiah’s story so powerful is not only what he gave to OLC, but what he carried while continuing to show up.

During his freshman year of high school, Jeremiah’s stepfather passed away. At just 14 years old, Jeremiah stepped into responsibilities far beyond his years. While attending school full-time and staying committed to Oakland Lacrosse, he also helped care for his younger siblings and worked at a local restaurant to help support his family.

Through it all, Jeremiah remained steady. He kept showing up for his teammates, his coaches, his family, and himself.

For Jeremiah, one of the biggest lessons he learned through sports and OLC was perseverance.

“I think the biggest lesson sports and OLC has taught me is to keep pushing forward and persevering. Even if you are beat and tired, you can always muster up a little more momentum to keep going. That lesson is guiding my goal to be prosperous so I can take care of me and my family.” — Jeremiah

Jeremiah’s leadership has always been rooted in dependability. He brought his younger brother into the program, served as a Summer Ambassador, and became the kind of teammate others could trust.

When asked what it means to be a good teammate, Jeremiah shared:

“Being a good teammate is pushing your teammates to be better each and every practice while still having fun and enjoying the sport, and being someone people can rely on. I think I have applied those qualities at large by always pushing who I am around to do better and trying to always be positive.” — Jeremiah

Jeremiah is now preparing to enroll in the Automotive Technology program at Alameda College in Spring 2026. His goal is to earn his certification, build a stable career, and continue supporting his family. The Purple One Scholarship will help offset tuition and program-related expenses, giving Jeremiah more space to focus on his education while continuing to work toward the future he is building.

Jeremiah’s story is one of sacrifice, strength, and deep love for his family. We are honored to recognize him as one of Oakland Lacrosse Club’s first Purple One Scholars.

Cesar Carmona Felipe: Leading by example, on and off the field

Cesar joined Oakland Lacrosse in 7th grade. Over seven years with the program, he became a consistent presence, a strong teammate, a Summer Ambassador, and a leader younger players could look up to.

From the beginning, Cesar showed maturity and commitment. He took every opportunity offered through OLC seriously and found ways to keep growing. He recruited his cousin into the program, advocated for competitive opportunities, and eventually pursued lacrosse at the collegiate level. Today, Cesar competes at Lycoming College while balancing academics, athletics, student leadership, and family responsibilities.

Cesar’s leadership style was built through consistency. He did not define leadership as being the loudest person or the most naturally skilled player. He defined it through effort.

“While I wasn’t always the most skilled player, I made my impact through relentless effort, hustling in every drill, dedicating time to wall ball on my own, and playing hard during games. These consistent examples showed my teammates that contribution isn’t solely measured by talent, but by commitment.” — Cesar

By his senior year, Cesar had grown into a more vocal leader. He learned how to give feedback in a way that encouraged others and continued to set the standard through his own work ethic.

Those lessons have continued to shape him beyond Oakland Lacrosse. Cesar shared that the communication skills he developed with his teammates helped him during his internship at Okta, where he asked thoughtful questions, connected with colleagues, and worked to understand a professional environment. The same discipline he brought to the lacrosse field now guides his academics and pursuit of new opportunities.

“I now apply the same focus and discipline I used during drills to my study habits and in my pursuit of new experiences, understanding that consistent effort, whether on the field or in the workforce, is the true driver of growth and success.” — Cesar

As a first-generation college student, Cesar has created opportunities for himself through initiative, persistence, and courage. At Lycoming, he is not only a student-athlete, but also a Resident Assistant and active member of campus life.

The Purple One Scholarship will help ease some of the financial pressures Cesar carries as he balances school, lacrosse, leadership, and family. It will also give him more flexibility to stay connected to home and the community that helped shape him.

Cesar embodies long-term commitment—to his sport, his education, his family, and Oakland Lacrosse. We are proud to recognize him as one of our first Purple One Scholars.

Carrying the Purple One legacy forward

Jeremiah and Cesar have taken different paths, but their stories share a common thread: they both lead through action.

They show up. They work hard. They bring others along. They understand that leadership is not just about what happens during a game, but how you care for your teammates, your family, and your community.

As the first recipients of the Purple One Scholarship, Jeremiah and Cesar are helping define what this award means for future generations of Oakland Lacrosse student-athletes.

Congratulations, Jeremiah and Cesar. We are so proud of you, and we cannot wait to see where your leadership takes you next.