In high school, I enjoyed almost every opportunity available to me, such as Cheerleading, National Honor Society, Boys Basketball Manager, SkillsUSA, Cadet Teaching, and Spanish Club. I loved these opportunities that were available for me in school, and I knew that I wanted to become an educator to make these and other opportunities available to other kids in the future. To do this, I would need to pursue a bachelor’s degree and apply for a teaching license. But I also wanted to go to college to make my family proud as the first person to attend a university.

Not only did 21st Century Scholars help me afford a quality education at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, but I was also assigned a mentor when I got to college. This person was also a 21st Century Scholar and they helped me figure out college life and was there to assist me in any way I needed. This mentor taught me how to stay on track with my grades and how to maximize my networking opportunities! Even though it seems like the 21st Century Scholarship is just paying for college, you will get so many more benefits. You will grow as a student, and you will be able to manage college with one less stressor!

I graduated from Purdue in 2018 with a bachelor’s in Elementary Education and am now an instructor at the CTE Area Career Center with the School City of Hammond. 21st Century Scholars provided amazing coaching and qualifications for me, and it can for you too. Reach out to your guidance counselor today to find out what you need to do to keep this scholarship!