May 31, 2022
In our first year, we granted scholarships to 94 Charleston County students to help open the doors to higher education. Each recipient overcame major hurdles, including moving, language barriers, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. This group of talented students showcased their ability to rise above the circumstances and put their education first. Here is a glimpse into two incredible students’ stories and the impact Meeting Street Scholarship Fund has on their future.
From Aspirations to Reality
“The scholarship helped me turn my hopes and aspirations into reality, because going to college without student loans has been my goal since I entered high school,” said Allen, a Meeting Street Scholarship Fund recipient and West Ashley High School alumnus. “The Meeting Street Scholarship Fund changed my life and my family’s life as well.” Moving to Ecuador and back, Allen re-adapted to different cultures, overcame communication hurdles, made up for gaps in his education, worked a full-time construction job over the summer, and moved up through the ranks of his soccer league. Allen currently attends Clemson University, is majoring in Biochemistry in hopes of becoming a surgeon, and will graduate with less debt to be better positioned for a financially successful future with the Meeting Street Scholarship.
Breaking the Cycle
As the eldest child in a single-parent home, Meeting Street Scholarship Fund recipient Kaiasia felt the need to financially support her family in any way possible by tutoring and babysitting. She soon realized the most important thing she could do was become a first-generation high school graduate and pursue higher education. She turned her attention to her studies and, thanks to her dedication, graduated from Burke High School, won awards and multiple scholarships, and was accepted to Clemson University and is working towards becoming a mechanical engineer. “Throughout my high school career, one of my biggest worries was how I would be able to afford college because [I believed it] was the only way to break the cycle. Receiving this financial aid would allow me to make a difference in the ever-changing and challenging world of engineering…Having college more accessible and affordable would not only help me achieve my dreams but reinforce my self-confidence and power of resilience.”
Our goal is to help deserving students attend college by reducing the financial burden often associated with higher education. Every student who qualifies for the Meeting Street Scholarship is accepted. We granted scholarships to 94 excellent students in 2021 and hope to support more than 500 eligible South Carolina students by 2024.
To hear from other Meeting Street Scholarship recipients, visit MeetingStreetScholarshipFund.org/scholarship-experience/
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