Past Winners

January

Jessica Whitcomb

I am a single parent with 3 kids and want to show them. If I can do it at the age I am they can, too. I have been going to college for a long time. The college that I am at has shown me how to be confident in myself. Each class the instructors actually care and push all of us to exceed in their class and I never had that before. It is truly an amazing feeling knowing you have a support person in your life. And I am finally on my last year and need help paying for the remaining of my loan. I have exceeded my financial aid. I have been working so hard to finish and I have a GPA of 3.07 and I am so proud of myself for sticking to finishing. I am in my senior year now and it’s been amazing ride so far. I can’t wait to hold my Bachelor’s Degree in my hands.

February

Marisela Garcia

I believe I deserve a second chance at life.
I must admit, I am in a good place now, I live in my brothers home. Thank God. And I work for a catering company.

5 years ago, I was homeless. Living in a transient life style.

…and 5 years from today…
I’d love to be independent.

I want to go for my ihss license.
And help out the elderly, and those in need.
I love to contribute to those’ve contributed with my traumatic recovering. And show appreciation by bettering myself by the day.

This scholarship will help me accomplish this goal. Apart, from furthering my education.
By attend vocational courses for medical training .

By winning this scholarship will help me. I will forever be grateful. I will pay it forward.
And give back to the community.

March

Olivia Murphy

Hello! My name is Olivia Murphy. I am a 28 year old single mother living in Indiana. Growing up, I was an empathetic, quiet, and unassuming child with a passion for writing, animals, and nature. My childhood was not ideal, being that I was the first born child to a pair of addicted parents. My hobbies and interests slowly dissipated and eventually laid dormant inside me because I was forced to survive. I began to develop and encompass my identity around helping others because I was either taking care of my younger siblings or my parents. I don’t look back and see the past as something that is stopping me, in fact I see the opposite. I look at every hardship as a lesson or an opportunity to move forward. I’ve worked so hard to learn to balance my life. I currently work full-time as a Caesar’s sportsbook supervisor. My dream is helping people. This year, I am ready to start a new chapter by taking psychology and social work courses. My long-term plan is to become a psychodynamic therapist. All I’m missing is the funds I need to get it started. I will put this money to good use. Not only will it get the ball rolling for me to better the quality of life for my family, but I’ll be able to use my experiences to help others as well. Thank you for your time.

April

Nicole Brown

In 2022, I conducted an interview on behalf of The World Bank to assess the sustainability of The World Bank’s support to aging in Jamaica. I spoke with Dr.Denise Eldemire – Shearer who is not only Jamaica’s leading aging expert, but also the widow of former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Hugh Lawson Shearer. The conversation with her reignited my desire to join this remarkable woman in the field of aging.

I will attend the doctoral program in Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My research will focus on how social inequalities shape the impact of hazards on health, recovery, and resilience for vulnerable populations, particularly older adults who reside in coastal areas and its effects on older adults in the United States. I intend to conduct a pilot study in Jamaica to understand how older adults with chronic diseases and the absence of a caregiver can better prepare for natural disasters. I know that my experience in international development and social protection at the World Bank and Inter- American Development Bank will prepare me to excel in my program. This scholarship will assist with my living expenses as an international student.

As a Black Caribbean woman, I intend to return to my homeland Jamaica and become a pioneer in the field of aging and establish a research institute that focuses on disaster risk resilience and its impact on vulnerable populations. It would be the first-of-its-kind in the English-speaking Caribbean that generates action-oriented research.

May

Kevin Dewayne Clark

I believe it’s my time to receive a blessing. When I walked out of confinement bid to a seven year prison sentence with my associates degree tucked underneath my arms. I told myself I wasn’t going to stop here and get stuck at the gate looking back. Naw I had my mind set on achieving my bachelor’s degree in business and with this scholarship, I will achieve my goal. Let this be my blessing.

June

Alani Mason-Callaway

I am a musical theatre performer studying clinical psychology to become a child therapist and start a musical theatre outreach organization for disabled youth. Ultimately, I am studying for a degree in Clinical Psychology to do therapeutic assessments and interventions with children and adolescents with disabilities and create opportunities for them to share their voices and address the needs of vulnerable populations in their surrounding communities.

My efforts to integrate the arts and mental health started with my Girl Scout Gold Award service project. For my Gold Award, I taught an instrumental music workshop to girls from low-income families. Through my passion for music, I empowered young girls from an at-risk population to creatively express themselves and learn a new skill. Similarly, I plan to provide interventions for children with disabilities and start a theatre company for people with disabilities, to create an expressive space of empowerment and improve their quality of life through therapy and theatre.

Winning the USA Scholarship Guide Scholarship will enable me to continue my therapeutic training in and out of the classroom and push me one step closer to obtaining my license to clinically assess and practice therapy with children and adolescents. To award me with the USA Scholarship Guide Scholarship is to invest not only in my future of psychological and philanthropic purpose, but in the futures of greater mental health, increased life satisfaction, self-efficacy and overall improved functioning in the various life domains of my future clients.

July

Dominica Ochai

I currently model which isn’t a long-term career path, I want to be able to give back to humanity. Being able to help people in need is something I’m passionate about. By studying the “ social work” course I’ll be able to accomplish my childhood dream of helping humanity. Being a social worker is a lot more than just speaking and interacting with people in need. There is no typical day for a social worker. Social work professionals spend most of their time out in the community rather than in an office. Their schedule often consists of attending court hearings, meeting with clients, supervising visits, completing training, and advocating for their client’s needs which I would be grateful for if I’m allowed to tender.

August

 Denesia Weeks

I’m proud of myself for making it to school up until now I started in January when it’s the first time since 2008 so I’m really proud that I have made it this far and I would like to continue. Right now I’m going for Human Services and I plan on graduating and helping those in need with resources and be a part of contact to help those navigate through the process of getting back on track.

September

Allan Rasmussen

I am a recovering addict who’s been clean for 2 years now. I have a four year old son who is my reason for living now. I want to change my life completely and go to school. I have worked hard to get where am at and need help to be able to finish out my dream of being a heavy equipment operator and show my son how life should be.

October

Stephanie E White

I’m 59 years old-it’s finally my turn to get my education in the healthcare industry. I know it’s hard at my age, but it’s my passion to help others!

November

Monique Murrell

I should receive this scholarship to improve my life and to achieve my educational goals to become all that I can be in this world, to help and assist others in the area of homelessness, counseling and ministry. I need to complete my BA in Counseling so I can help people get through the rough times in life and to also help myself to inspire others as I inspire myself to keep fighting to the end.
This is the only thing keeping me from moving forward is having my degree. I started on my pursuit to get my degree and further my education and then my Mom passed away and life happened to me and I had to survive. I don’t have student loans, I pay out of pocket for my education. A scholarship will make my dreams come true and I finish what I started. Thank you for your kindness Thankful and Grateful!!

December

Tim Baffa

I’ve been disabled since 2012 and dealt with progressively failing health from 2009 to 2021. Since, I’ve been finally feeling stable enough to work part time and want to finish my bachelors degree as I’ve got about 55 credit hours that will transfer. I plan on starting school this summer or fall. I’m a hard worker who just needs the financial help to finish school with the hope I can return full time to the work force. If can get a degree in something that I can do physically that opens many doors currently closed because I’ve not met the education requirements.

I would love the opportunity to win this scholarship. I have just enrolled at Colorado Technical University and will be working towards a Bachelors Degree in Business Management. I am a mother of three wonderful children and grandmother of ten. I am 65 years old and ready to realize my dream. I have always supported my family and taken care of them. I want to take time now for me. I have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and want to complete my college degree. I am determined to be successful and complete my goal! I want to be able to start my own business of helping others with serious illnesses realize their dreams as well. My education will play a role in my career and overall goals. I am a problem solver, able to persevere through any situation. It has been very difficult being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and there were several times I wasn’t sure if I would make it. I am a fighter, I am strong, and I am now thankfully in remission. Now that I have made it through I know I will achieve my educational goals. After all; it’s never to late and you are never to old. Thank you.

I plan on graduating Odessa College with an Associate in Biology. I will then transfer to UTPB to further pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biology/ Molecular Biology. I want to obtain these degrees so that I may acquire a Clinical Laboratory Science position in the hospital doing DNA and other bodily fluids test. I understand that to get these scholarship I must maintain a high GPA in my classes. This will not be a problem since schoolwork and education are my top priority. I have always tried to maintain A,s and B,s in the classes that I have taken. If I do not fully comprehend a certain subject, I will take it upon myself to go to tutoring to further my knowledge of said subject. The main reasons I want to secure this scholarship is because my family is financially dependent on the oil field and this scholarship would help me to get where I am going. I have epilepsy as well which means I also have high medical maintenance. Receiving this scholarship will benefit my journey through college and help me not have to depend on about my family’s income. The reason for me not wanting my family to pay a dime for my education is simply this. They are my everything. They have watched me go through having Epilepsy since I was 16 months old and hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s since I was 12. They do everything for me and I want to do something for them.

I am currently pursuing my career of being an occupational therapist. My life goal is to help those of disabilities feel like they aren’t living in a disabling world. I want my future patients to feel like they belong and feel independent in this world. In order to do so, I must help them achieve their best quality of life. As an Asian American woman and a first-generation college student, it was not easy to get to where I am today. I was able to get into a good college and finish my undergraduate career with a 3.5 GPA. Now, I am proud to continue my education at the University of Southern California and taking my next step in becoming an occupational therapist. Winning this scholarship could really help pay for my books and supplies when I start graduate school in the fall of 2022. I am so excited to helping people the best version that they can be and achieve the best quality of life.

I am 56, female and I have been HOMELESS for the last 15 years. I currently am residing in a Nursing Home in Chicago, waiting for some permanent housing. That could take many more years to happen. I would like to take a Medical Billing and Coding Certificate course but I don’t have the $3000 it takes to enroll in PREPPY.. it’s an online career school and only takes 4 to 6 months to complete. The $1000 would help to pay for my first 10 months of payments. Thank you for your consideration.

Graduating with Honors from college is a goal of mine so that I can work at a good job that helps others. Here are more of my goals for life including supporting my elderly mother who experiences dementia and other challenges resulting in staff put my mother in a dementia facility; I also hope my education will result in me graduating and working in a job that helps other disabled people. I completed 80 credits and need 40 more for graduation, and I am on track of graduating from college with Honors if I keep my GPA higher than a 3.5 GPA. If I graduate, I like the idea of working in a job that helps disabled people and attending law school or a disability studies program in graduate school so I can help other people with disabilities. I am disabled, and I like the idea of helping other people with disabilities a lot. I hope I can make a difference in the lives of people living with disabilities because of my lived experience of being disabled, my education, my motivation of helping other people with disabilities, my past job assisting a person with multiple disabilities, and my volunteer experiences of helping disabled people. This is why I hope that I receive the USA Scholarship Guide $1,000 scholarship. If I receive the $1,000 USA Scholarship Guide Scholarship, this would be life-changing for me. Thank you very much for taking the time of reading this submission

I have been working at earning an AAS through Bellingham Technical College. I was laid off from a good job after three years when Covid hit. I have osteoarthritis in all my joints and it makes it tough to even go running with my sons. I have done all that I can to feed them and take care of them. I am taking Business management courses because my dream is to be Chef and owner of OUR own kitchen. It woud be so awesome to have all the family working together to feed others. Thank you

I am a single mother of two children.I have struggled over many years with PTSD and told how dumb I was by teachers and professors and still managed to accomplish my goal of getting my associates degree in Science of Medical Assistant while making sure my children had a roof over their head food to eat lots of love and worked a full time job while doing all of this I graduated from college with a 3.45 gpa and I’ve always wanted to go back for my bachelor’s becoming a Nurse Practitioner well my children are now 18 and 15 years old and I believe the time has come to do so life is not as crazy as it was and I love to help people I love the health care team and I would love to further my education to continue with training to make mine and my children’s lives a bit easier without the struggle if I could go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner I would not have to depend on others for financial help and I would be able to help people and those I love such as my father who was just diagnosed with cancer and it would be everything I’ve always wanted and then some a dream come true at last Thank you and God Bless

I am a single mom struggling with a part-time job, trying to find a full time job but I am managing to keep grades up and continue towards my Associate degree for Alcohol and Drug Counseling. I am looking to assist those that need a fresh start in overcoming their addictions and staying set free and restored with their family and friends.

I need this scholarship because I want to go back to school to get a BS in Early Childhood Education. I am single mother that is on disability because I have sickle cell disease. I don’t have the extra funds to go back to school. This scholarship will help me get the things I need for school . My goal is to go back teaching pre schoolers. The age group 0 to 5 years old is the foundation and it is important what child learns during this age group. I want to get a career after I finish school, that will help me take care of my son.

As per why I should receive the USA Scholarship, is simple. As a person having survive five craniotomies for brain cancer at MD. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, I believe that through much tenacity and discipline, I can invest this money towards my education in special Education working with children with disabilities. Although I have experienced full paralysis due to my first craniotomy; I believe that my empathy and sympathy can go a long way in reaching children with Autism and intellectual disability. However, to reach my educational endevours; I am looking for your type of educational assistance in order to complete my education at North Central University in San Diego California as a PhD candidate. Thank your in advance for considering my application.

I have a strong desire to pursue my masters degree in organizational leadership-nonprofit management. The tuition is not affordable without student loans, so applying for as many scholarships as I can will assist in accomplishing my dream to go back to school. I received my bachelors degree in business administration from California State University, Hayward. My dream is to run a successful nonprofit, “E-community,“ assisting in the reunification of displaced individuals, entering society, from incarceration or rehabilitation. This nonprofit will provide employment opportunities by working in preventive fire control in the Santa Cruz mountains. Our mission is to raise awareness and acceptance in our community of peoples differences and unite and encourage the new way of thinking. This education is something that knowingly will benefit me in the future and give me the skills needed for the foundation of my work. I believe the most valuable thing in this world is opportunity, because sometimes all it takes for someone to be successful is a chance to do so. I would like to be a part of that chance for people to foster that growth of future success in our community. I know it’s a long journey, and I know how difficult the process of transitioning into society is. More importantly take control of their lives. I am going to do everything to be the best leader that I can be. This is clearly why I am the best candidate for the scholarship .

I am a fourth year student at the University of Santa Barbara California studying Sociology and Applied Psychology. I transferred to UCSB as a junior and will be graduating Spring of 2023. I am a full time student and attend classes Monday- Thursday. Aside from school, I work Monday- Thursday as a Behavioral Technician for children with Autism. I have loved the job so much that I’ve decided to continue in that path and eventually become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). I am currently living with my parents because rent is far above my pay grade. I would like to continue going to school as a grad student next year but in order to do so I need to continue saving money. I don’t want money to be a problem when I’m in search of my career goals but as of right now it is something that I need to be cautious about. This scholarship of $1,000 would help with my tuition for grad school. Thank you!

I am a hardworking freshman in community college. I am pursing to get into medical school and pursue to become a pediatrician. I am passionate when it comes to helping people and constantly learning. I am dedicated and will push myself to maintain A’s in my classes.

Following a bumpy start to my initial high school years which was accompanied by multiple slumps, life-saving surgeries, and multiple deaths of family and friends, I managed to persist and persevere through it all, and with the help of my high school offering dual credits courses, I will be graduating with my associates degree. However, funding for college is potentially a roadblock preventing me from furthering my academic education and success. My mother had to work three jobs at one point to make ends meet, and might be forced to return to that state in order to fund my college education. Furthermore, I aspire to be a dentist, and the costs for dental school will be tremendously higher than college costs. That said, I’m applying to this scholarship because I’ve turned my academic career around, going from not performing to the best of my ability to graduating high school with an associates degree and aspiring to become a dentist, and the award offered by this scholarship will assist in alleviating college costs, taking burden and stress off of my shoulders and enhancing my ability to perform and focus, allowing me to achieve better scores and grades on my path to receiving admission to dental school. I intend to put the funds towards the necessities: tuition, room and board, books, etc. Other expenses, such as personal expenses, will not be accounted for as furthering my academic career is currently the most significant task at hand.

I am disabled having 2 rare genetic illness. After being home bound for over a decade, I studied intensively on my Conditions, on human anatomy physiology, pathology, and medicine. Combined with my experiences realize that I would make a very good physician scientist. It is my goal to help others with my condition as there are no medical professionals in the state of Connecticut who treat these particular genetic illnesses. I return to school 2 1/2 years ago and have maintained a 3.85 GPA. Not only do I have the intelligence I have the passion to become a good doctor and scientist; however, on SSDI I have not the funds for tuition nor any family support. My goal is not simply to have a career but to better the lives of others and being needed enlightenment to the medical community.

I am a hard-working 43 yr old divorced mother of 4 making my 3rd attempt at gaining my bachelor’s degree. I was released from the Montana department of corrections on the 24th of June 2020, after serving almost 3 years and completing a 9 month intensive inpatient treatment program for addiction. I just started taking classes through CTU online, I’m going to receive a Pell Grant and have applied for student loans however, I’m currently unemployed, looking for work, homeless looking for a permanent residence & additionally, I am in a legal battle fighting against revocation of a suspended sentence. This morning I was informed that I have cancer that they say is most likely treatable. I am determined to overcome all of the difficulties I am facing and create a better life for myself by obtaining my degree. $1000 would definitely aid in my quest for success and I would use the money to purchase a laptop computer, as well as a printer to use for my studies. Currently, I am using my smartphone for my coursework to meet the requirements required for my classes. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Krystal Nixon

I’m a single mother of 4 children 2 are in college and one still in grade school. I can’t afford to provide a decent living for them and pay for college for all of us. I want to further my education in healthcare I work as a lab assistant now however I dream of becoming a nurse one day. And being able to financially provide and send my youngest two children to college as well. One day

I am going to college to further my education. After struggling with cancer and a divorce. I finally have an opportunity to get my RN degree. I was excepted into a program however, the cost to start is expensive. I need money for books, supplies, uniforms, tuition. This is overwhelming for someone that’s supporting themselves alone. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I got into the Ohlone college in Fremont RN program

In these trying times of unemployment and strife, I myself have retired my reliance on alcohol, found a stable place to live after 25 years of homelessness, and decided to go back to school to better not only myself but all others around me. I was recently hacked and had my bank account stole. Not that it mattered….I didn’t have any money any way, but it was an invasion through technological means. I myself am a 42 year young man that has never really had too much going for me. Mostly because of my own bad decisions in the past and inability to see the light at the end. I have come around to a better view after getting sober and know that the whole world is out there for me to explore. In so doing I want to make it a safer place for all as much as possible. I am currently enrolled in AIU for a bachelors in IT, focus in cyber-security. I feel that no-one should have to worry about their information being stored somewhere and then being stolen by someone that just wants to for the fun of it. It ruins people’s lives and is so hard to come back from and recover. I am going to be one of the one’s that helps prevent those types of attacks and theft, and also someone they can turn to when help is needed in recovery and reparations. This is something I wish to stop.

I am furthering my education at this stage of life in order to pursue a better future for myself. I started my formal education at thirty-years of age by attending community college. Even though that process extended longer than I anticipated, my A.A. was completed and has prepared me with confidence that I can obtain a B.A.. By not limiting myself and my admiration for higher learning, I have also thought of a Master’s Degree. However, my small steps must stay in focus before I reach for further. My current major at San Francisco State University is Business Administration with a minor in Information Systems. This will be my first semester as a full-time student; my first and second semester because of covid and being away from academics, I only attempted three classes total. I’m currently a junior and I have a two-three year schedule for completion of my goals. I have always thought highly of education which may seem to contradict me not attending junior high or high school, but my circumstances did not allow that. My pursuit at this stage is a life endeavor. I do pursue a better job skillset and hopefully placement, yet the education is my root, the true path that I believe in. I find the USA Scholarship admirable and befitting for someone like myself, where opportunity in America is never absent. To quote one of our greats “I Have A Dream,” and mine is consistent with opportunity and inclusion within America.

I’m currently unemployed but still independent I wanna work in a hospital as a psych tech in which I enjoy taking care of people in need, that’s my calling. I’m currently enrolled for the Spring semester in the nursing program to further my education to be a psych nurse. The only problem I have is I don’t qualify for student loans or Pell grant so I have to pay out of pocket. That $1000.00 will help out tremendously

I am a new online student at Post University. I am also a hard working yet homeless woman who is serious about making positive changes in my life. I also am going to school to be a difference in the Non-Profit world hopefully one day able to counsel the less fortunate so they can possibly succeed one day! Thank you for the opportunity either way

I believe I should receive this scholarship because I’m a single mother trying to go back to school raising my daughter on my own I’m trying to get my degree in criminal law the one reason I picked this degree is I was a addict four years ago struggling every day to make it in life I ended up in jail they took my daughter I lost my home I lost everything I was sitting in the jail cell this cop came in and said April you are 30 you have a daughter why don’t you do something with your life so when I got out I went to meetings I got a job and now because of that police officer that arrested me I’ve been clean for almost 5 years now I’m going to school I have a home I have my beautiful daughter back but still it’s hard trying to do everything on my own her dad doesn’t help I do it all so please help me with this scholarship. Thank you

I would be so grateful and thankful for any financial assistance since I’m not eligible for the Pell Grant. Reason being, this will be my second Bachelor’s degree. I lost my 18 year old son in 2004 to random violence and never got a resolve in his death. I want to study Forensic Science in Criminal Justice to assist in finding answers to evidence that can produce positive results in producing evidence that can be used to help convict those criminals that cause harm to innocent human beings. I don’t want any parent, experiencing heart break their entire life as I have. I will use these funds wisely for materials and a laptop that I don’t have and desperately need. Thank you for your consideration s.

I’m a single parent of 5 beautiful kids ages 19, 16, 13, 8 and 4. I currently work in a hospital as a psych tech in which I enjoy taking care of people in need, that’s my calling. I’m currently enrolled for the Spring semester in the nursing program to further my education to be a psych nurse. The only problem I have is I don’t qualify for student loans or Pell grant so I have to pay out of pocket. That $1000.00 will help out tremendously.

I am a 28-year-old Freshman in the Culinary Arts program at St. Phillips college. I waited 11 years to continue my education. Which will explain my motivations. At 19, I had my first daughter. Working a full-time job at the time, school was not a priority. At 21, my second daughter. My two main motivators. During this time I found my passion for FOOD. Not only food. But the art of COOKING. Throughout my 11 years working in various kitchens. From dishwasher to line cook to server. I have watched talented chefs turn people’s days into one that may have started completely wrong. Into one of peace and comfort. Which explains my second motivation. The joy and peace I can bring through my food into everyday people’s lives. I live by, “If for just that one moment, thru my food, someone can gain peace.” My third and final motivator would have to be my FAMILY. I am a firm believer in family first. My children and my wife continue to push me every day. Through work, school, and everyday situations. They show me that with a solid foundation behind you, of people that care, you can succeed in anything. My goal is to one day become a motivational speaker for other fathers and inspiring chefs.