“As a child, I grew up being told that I should go to college. I believed college gave me financial security which my family had always struggled with. I went through elementary school, middle school, and eventually, high school intending to get into a good college. I remember doing my homework, working hard, and trying my best to get good grades. I strived to be the best in my class but it was a lot harder than I had been raised to believe, my sheer efforts did not seem enough. As I finally reached my senior year and started applying for college it became more real that I had grown up and made it to the final step. I was applying to many different schools with differing acceptance rates and as I researched them and saw their tuition I realized half of the battle was only getting accepted. My acceptance letters were really hard to receive as I knew I should be happy. Instead I felt a heavy weight on my chest and numb as I never imagined being able to go because of the cost of attendance. This burden was lightened because of the Denis Davis scholarship. The Denis Davis scholarship helped me pursue higher education and follow my dream of helping others. Now as I look at my acceptance letters I feel free to imagine the possibilities at each of the universities. The Denis Davis scholarship gave me back my hope in getting higher education.”
-Stephanie Maldonado
