John Handley High School ’21
Laurel Ridge Community College ’23
Shenandoah University ’25 (biology, Spanish)
The aid from SLI has helped me tremendously as a first-generation student. I have not had any financial stress as most of my peers do nor have I taken out loans or have used any other money. I get to focus more on my classes without worrying so much about how I am going to pay for next semester’s tuition. I am blessed and grateful for the opportunity SLI has given me to continue my education. Even a little can go so far for me.
I hope to transfer to a university next year, so I want to learn how to become the best version of myself. I realized the potential I have through college and continuing for another year at LRCC will hopefully help me understand what I am capable of. I recently took a chemistry class and it was my first time ever presenting in front of new people I didn’t already know. It was terrifying to me, but I realized that we were all on the same boat. We are all students willing to learn from one another.
I have been told by my peers and professors that I work well under pressure. I am not good at math, and I have often had trouble understanding some topics. But I learned that if I go up to the board and work out a problem there, I can understand it.
