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JUNE 16, 2022 | 7:00 PM EST
Intercontinental – The Wharf Washington, D.C.
Join Us to Support and Celebrate Student Success.
After two years of record-breaking virtual fundraisers, Scholarship America’s Dreams to Success event is heading back to Washington, D.C.! Join us on June 16, 2022 at the InterContinental – The Wharf on the beautiful Potomac River waterfront for a night of celebration, inspiration and fundraising.
For questions or more information, contact:
Joan Cronson, Scholarship America PR & Events Manager
at jcronson@scholarshipamerica.org
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Support Dreams to Success
Thank You to Our Sponsors
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Thomas Ballinger, 2020 Dream Award Scholar
Read Thomas' Story
“I feel like the Dream Award has set me up to have an amazing scientific career and fulfilling life.
Sydney Kamen, 2019 Dream Award Scholar
Read Sydney's Story
“It is such an honor to be recognized by an institution that shares my vision…It is such a gift to have so many people who are truly invested in my success so unquestionably in my corner.”
Jia Mei, 2019 Chinese-American Dream Award Scholar
Read Jia's Story
“I worried what I would do and how I would pay for tuition...Being selected for the Dream Award my sophomore year gave me the sense of relief that I needed.”
Donja Wilkinson, 2019 Dream Award Scholar
Read Donja's Story
“I want to thank Scholarship America and its donors for believing in my abilities and my future … and allowing me to continue my college career. If I did not get this scholarship, college would not be an option. I am the first in my family to go to college and owe that all to the Dream Award scholarship.”
Niki Nguyen, 2021 Dream Award Scholar
Read Niki's Story
I want to empower people and inform them that community college is not a place for unmotivated beings; it’s a place for second chances, even first chances...Without Scholarship America I wouldn’t be able to continue.”
Allie Winship, A. Cressy Morrison Scholar
Read Allie's Story
“A scholarship like this is a dream I thought I’d never see. My ancestors knew not of the importance of college, especially because it was way out of our price range. My sister was the first of my family to attend college. Financially, it was a struggle due to not having the same system of scholarships I have now. With this scholarship, my dreams can become reality.”
What Does Your Gift Mean to Scholars?
Dreams to Success will be held at the beautiful InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf. The hotel has immediate access to major roadways, is blocks away from public transit stops, and a short five miles away from the Reagan National Airport. Hotel guests may relax on the seasonal rooftop Waves bar & pool, offering sips and bites with striking Potomac River views.
The room block is now closed. Please check with the InterContinential - The Wharf regarding room availability. There are other hotels within a short distance of the venue if other accomodations are needed.
ABOUT THE HOTEL
FIND A ROOM
COVID-19 PROCEDURES
About the Venue
Updated - May 31, 2022
The safety and health of our students, staff, attendees and partners at the InterContinental – The Wharf is our top priority as we return to celebrate in-person. To ensure everyone in attendance feels as safe as possible…
- We ask our unvaccinated attendees, and anyone who feels more comfortable doing so, to wear a mask in common areas.
- We encourage all attendees who plan on joining in person to take a COVID-19 test and test negative 24 hours prior to their arrival at the hotel. Please complete this form to confirm you have received a negative COVID-19 test and are experiencing no symptoms prior to your travel to Dreams to Success.
- We will make masks and hand sanitizer available to all attendees.
- We have invested in a virtual livestream option for those who wish to celebrate with us from a distance
- If you are not feeling well, the expectation is that you will stay home and enjoy Dreams to Success via the virtual stream.
You are acknowledging that you are attending Dreams to Success voluntarily and by attending and participating you agree to release liability to Scholarship America.
Venue Protocols
The InterContinental - The Wharf has evolved cleaning procedures in every area of the hotel including enhanced cleaning of guest rooms and suites using hospital-grade sanitization products and contactless options for check-in and registration. You can read about IGH's Clean Promise and world-class cleaning processes at https://www.ihg.com/content/us/en/customer-care/
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COVID-19 PROCEDURES
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InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf is the newest addition to the reimagined Wharf neighborhood. Perfectly placed on the beautiful Potomac River, InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf enjoys the most incredible waterfront views of D.C. Modern luxury, culture, and a rich history combine in the Wharf neighborhood to create a perfect atmosphere for guests and locals alike.
Amenities include:
- Moon Rabbit - A contemporary Vietnamese restaurant By Kevin Tien
- The Spa at the Wharf
- WAVES Rooftop Deck
- 12 Stories Bar
...and more!
ABOUT YOUR STAY
COVID-19 Details
ABOUT THE HOTEL
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Thank You to All Our Sponsors and Donors!
BECOME A SPONSOR
Support Dreams to Success
Celebrate Student Achievement
Students have done amazing things thanks to financial assistance funded by supporters like you—and their achievements showcase what happens when students receive the support they need to make their education goals possible.
Since the first Dreams to Success Celebration in 2014, Scholarship America has provided scholarships, emergency grants and other financial assistance to more than 800,000 students across the country and around the world. Those include our Dream Award Scholars—the 130 recipients of our flagship renewable scholarship award, who have earned more than $3 million in scholarships and seen a 100% graduation rate.
Meet the 2022 Dream Award Scholars!
Celebrate Student Achievement
Scholarship America
The Event
About Scholarship America
We have one passion. Every student. Since 1958, we have grown to be the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships for college students and have distributed $4.9 billion to more than 2.9 million students. We work with our partners, donors, supporters and students to lower barriers to a college education and give students the support needed to succeed.
The Dream Award
Scholarship America
The Event
About Dreams to Success
Dreams to Success is Scholarship America’s annual premiere fundraising event that demonstrates the impact a strong support system has on helping students overcome barriers, challenges and inequities on the path to their college dreams. This year’s event will celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 Dream Award Scholars, show the impact scholarships have made to the lives of students and illustrate the challenges and barriers that stand in the way of their dreams.
Celebrate Student Achievement
Scholarship America
The Event
Learn More
CONTACT
For questions or more information, contact: Joan Cronson, Scholarship America
PR & Events Manager at
jcronson@scholarshipamerica.org
Thank You to Our Sponsors
BECOME A SPONSOR
Support Dreams to Success
The Event
Celebrate Student Achievement
Scholarship America
About the Dream to Success
Dreams to Success is Scholarship America’s annual premiere fundraising event that
demonstrates the impact a strong support system has on helping students overcome
barriers, challenges and inequities on the path to their college dreams. This year’s event will celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 Dream Award Scholars, show the impact
scholarships have made to the lives of students and illustrate the challenges and barriers that stand in the way of their dreams.
Learn More
BECOME A SPONSOR
DONATE
PURCHASE TICKETS
BOOK YOUR HOTEL
After two years of record-breaking virtual fundraisers, Scholarship America’s Dreams to Success event is heading back to Washington, DC! Join us on June 16, 2022 at the Intercontenental – The Wharf on the beautiful Potomac River waterfront for a night of celebration, inspiration and fundraising.
Join Us to Support and Celebrate Student Success.
JUNE 16, 2022 | 7:00 PM EST
Intercontinental – The Wharf Washington, D.C.
Purchase Tickets
Become a Sponsor
DONATE
Thank You to Our Sponsors
BECOME A SPONSOR
Support Dreams to Success
Thank You to
Our Sponsors
BECOME A SPONSOR
Support Dreams to Success
Thomas Ballinger, 2020 Dream Award Scholar
Read Thomas' Story
“I feel like the Dream Award has set me up to have an amazing scientific career and fulfilling life.
Donja Wilkinson, 2019 Dream Award Scholar
Read Donja's Story
“I want to thank Scholarship America and its donors for believing in my abilities and my future … and allowing me to continue my college career. If I did not get this scholarship, college would not be an option.
I am the first in my family to go to college and owe that all to the Dream Award scholarship.”
Niki Nguyen, 2021 Dream Award Scholar
Read Niki's Story
I want to empower people and inform them that community college is not a place for unmotivated beings; it’s a place for second chances, even first chances...Without Scholarship America I wouldn’t be able to continue.”
Allie Winship, A. Cressy Morrison Scholar
Read Allie's Story
“A scholarship like this is a dream I thought I’d never see. My ancestors knew not of the importance of college, especially because it was way out of our price range. My sister was the first of my family to attend college. Financially, it was a struggle due to not having the same system of scholarships I have now. With this scholarship, my dreams can become reality.”
Jia Mei, 2019 Chinese-American Dream Award Scholar
Read Jia's Story
“I worried what I would do and how I would pay for tuition...Being selected for the Dream Award my sophomore year gave me the sense of relief that I needed.”
Sydney Kamen, 2019 Dream Award Scholar
Read Sydney's Story
“It is such an honor to be recognized by an institution that shares my vision…It is such a gift to have so many people who are truly invested in my success so unquestionably in my corner.”
What Does Your Gift Mean to Scholars?
RESERVE YOUR ROOM
Dreams to Success will be held at the beautiful InterContinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf. The hotel has immediate access to major roadways, is blocks away from public transit stops, and a short five miles away from the Reagan National Airport. Hotel guests may relax on the seasonal rooftop Waves bar & pool, offering sips and bites with striking Potomac River views.
The room block is now closed. To reserve your room for Dreams to Success, reach out to the InterContinental - The Wharf for availability.
Book Your Hotel
About the Dream Award
Students have done amazing things thanks to financial assistance funded by supporters like you—and their achievements showcase what happens when students receive the support they need to make their education goals possible.
Since the first Dreams to Success Celebration in 2014, Scholarship America has provided scholarships, emergency grants and other financial assistance to more than 800,000 students across the country and around the world. Those include our Dream Award Scholars—the 130 recipients of our flagship renewable scholarship award, who have earned more than $3 million in scholarships and seen a 100% graduation rate.
About Scholarship America
We have one passion. Every student. Since 1958, we have grown to be the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships for college students and have distributed $4.5 billion to more than 2.8 million students. We work with our partners, donors, supporters and students to lower barriers to a college education and give students the support needed to succeed.
Since 2009, Devon Woodfine has balanced work, school and caregiving. His mother is battling an autoimmune disease and chronic arthritis; Devon had to take over the role of head of household and primary caregiver, taking a job with the nonprofit Brotherhood Crusade to make ends meet. College costs are a constant challenge, and living at home means long commutes to campus on public transportation—but Devon’s passion for using technology to solve problems won’t be diminished. He is focusing on biomedical engineering, hoping to create innovations that improve patient outcomes, enhance patient experiences, and reduce costs. After he graduates, his goal is to earn a Ph.D. and focus on nanoscale solutions for the treatment of lung, liver, kidney and other diseases.
Los Angeles, CA // California Polytechnic University Pomona, Pomona, CA // Biomedical Engineering
Devon Woodfine
The deck was stacked against Marciela Rodrigues from the beginning. Due to her mother’s drug use, Marciela was born addicted to methamphetamines, opiates, and alcohol; she grew up experiencing homelessness and food insecurity; she was separated from her siblings and lived in numerous foster homes. In spite of all this—and a diagnosis of dyslexia—Marciela pushed herself forward to change her life for the better. Today, she is studying applied mathematics with a focus on data science at UC-Berkeley and says “As a first-generation, low-income, Latinx, former foster youth, woman in STEM, I made sure to utilize every opportunity.” Leading by example, she volunteers to help students from marginalized circumstances, and she even founded the first ever scientific research team composed entirely of former foster youth. Marciela says her ultimate goal is to help others by merging her STEM degree with her passion for the social sciences.
Ukiah, CA// University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA // Applied Mathematics & Data Science
Marciela Rodrigues
A nationally recognized and varsity letter-winning equestrian rider, Kaitlyn Praisler is dedicated to animal health and wellness—and she’s not letting education obstacles get in her way. Since preschool, Kaitlyn has struggled with a learning disability that resulted in speech and learning delays. Thanks to individualized plans, hard work and dedicated support, she succeeded in high school and moved on to college, even though money was tight; and Kaitlyn’s older brother is on the autism spectrum. Thanks to the Dream Award, Kaitlyn is working toward completing her education, studying for a degree in veterinary technology at Morehead State University with a career dream to become a registered veterinary technologist.
West Salem, OH // Morehead State University, Morehead, KY // Veterinary Technology
Kaitlyn Praisler
Mitchell Peterson survived childhood cancer, but that wasn’t the end of his medical journey. The chemical toxicity of chemotherapy led to heart failure, and Mitchell received a new heart in the summer of 2019. Medical challenges are still a fact of life—but this first-generation college student says going back to school has been the most uplifting and empowering choice he has made since his transplant. With a new lease on life, he wants to empower others to succeed, find their own drive, and keep progressing. To achieve that goal, he is studying computer science with a focus in engineering at Diablo Valley College. Mitchell is passionate about quantum mechanics as key to our future and wants to work for a company where he can use his skills to develop programs and hardware that will aid in the quality of life for everyone, especially those managing health drawbacks.
Oakland, CA // Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA // Engineering
Mitchell Peterson
Jena Parry’s mom was a strong family matriarch: a hardworking accountant that Jena also considered her best friend. But when her mom’s back injury spiraled into narcotic addiction and depression, Jena knew she needed a fresh start in a new setting. When she moved to St. Louis, the distance apart allowed Jena and her mother to mend their relationship before her mom passed away in early 2020. Now, as a young adult who has worked hard to make ends meet, Jena is back in school seeking a career she’s passionate about. She believes in building a better future for herself through physical wellness, and feels fulfilled when she can help others do the same; she hopes to earn her master’s degree in exercise science, and join a sports team staff or open her own exercise and wellness facility.
Saint Louis, MO // Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, MO // Exercise Science
Jena Parry
In 2019, Giovanni Olla and his four brothers were involved in a horrible car accident. All five young men were hospitalized; tragically, one of his brothers died, while another faced extensive rehabilitation and therapy after surviving an 11-day coma. The tragedy brought Giovanni’s family closer, but his recovery meant he missed out on sports, activities and school at the start of his senior year. Anxious to catch up and prepare himself for the future, he applied for the University of Chicago, which accepts just 6% of applicants—and he made it. He’s majoring in philosophy and psychology to prepare himself for a career in consulting and management, with a long-term goal to work in the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Kewaskum, WI // University of Chicago, Chicago, IL // Philosophy & Psychology
Giovanni Olla
When she was 14, Haila Morris had her life upended by a lymphoma diagnosis. Going through treatment at Memphis’s St. Jude Hospital—four hours away from home in Huntsville, Alabama—she missed her basketball season, her volunteering time and nearly a quarter of the school year. Afterwards, she was determined to make up the work in her challenging honor courses. She finished the year with an A average, and her health challenge helped her mature, grow mentally and become more resilient. Today, Halia dreams to become a marine research biologist; she is working towards her degree in marine and environmental science at Hampton University. She hopes to focus on marine ecology, study how humans are affecting marine ecosystems, and increase marine and environmental awareness by inspiring sustainable living.
Huntsville, AL // Hampton University, Hampton, VA // Marine & Environmental Science
Halia Morris
Mara Land’s educational journey has been shaped by her hearing loss. As a young girl, she struggled to understand teachers, missed important information, and felt left out of conversations. When Mara and her mother started learning American Sign Language (ASL) through a deaf mentoring service, it opened up a whole new world of communication as well as a transformative experience of having a deaf role model for self-advocacy guidance. Learning ASL came quickly and naturally to Mara, but she still had to do all of her learning outside school; she estimates she traveled 30,000 miles for classes and lessons, and she had to fight school administrators who wanted to cut the budget for her ASL interpreter. The experience made her a passionate advocate for deaf students; today, Mara is following that passion by working toward a degree in communication studies at Gallaudet University, the nation’s premier university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Dell Rapids, SD // Gallaudet University, Washington, DC // Communication Studies
Mara Land
As a first grader, new to the United States and not knowing English, Vietnamese immigrant Vy Nguyen practiced arithmetic and the alphabet anywhere she could: etched into a desk, or written in crayon on a cabinet. Years later, working on high school homework at that same desk, she decided to pursue a degree and career in nursing—and today, the Dream Award is helping her work toward her undergraduate degree, a first step toward her goal of achieving a doctorate. While she studies, Vy is also volunteering at a Portland hospital, and she hopes to continue learning something new each day, helping her community and providing much-needed care at home and around the world.
Portland, OR // University of Portland, Portland, OR // Nursing
Vy Nguyen
A single mother whose daughter was born with multiple special needs, Tonesia is a student and inspirational speaker, pursuing her dreams of becoming an obstetrics nurse and author. She’s working toward her degree in nursing at Wayne County Community College in Detroit; her goal is to educate and offer guidance on topics of health, wellness, medical support and community resources to new mothers. An avid writer, Tonesia has penned inspirational articles, poetry, and children’s books; as a speaker, she had the opportunity to share a stage with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Tonesia says her daughter’s health struggles have taught her the true meaning of faith, sacrifice and unconditional love, and she continues to work hard in school to create a better life for herself and her family.
Eastpointe, MI // Wayne County Community College, Detroit, MI // Nursing
Tonesia Nesbitt
Growing up, Abigail knew her family’s resources for college would be stretched thin. Both of her parents live with chronic illnesses, and she is one of three siblings all reaching college age around the same time. But rather than delaying her education, Abigail was motivated to find financial support to get a college education. A homeschooled native of Iron, Minnesota, she discovered her desire to be a scientist early on, and her time at Itasca Community College fostered her passion for biology and chemistry. With the help of the Dream Award, she will continue working toward an integrated engineering degree through Minnesota State University’s Iron Range Engineering Program (IRE), striving to help others in her community by advancing scientific and engineering knowledge.
Iron, MN // Itasca Community College, Grand Rapids, MN // Integrated Engineering
Abigail Lauer
A first-generation college student and immigrant from the Philippines, Czarina Jimenez embraces challenges. To help her single-parent family with their finances, she balances her studies with working multiple part-time jobs alongside her extracurriculars. To further her education, the native Tagalog speaker has worked hard to master English as a second language. And, to achieve what she says is “my biggest life goal, which is to give back to my family and my community through medicine,” she’s pursuing a pre-med degree in biology with a minor in leadership. In addition, Czarina has worked extensively as a tutor and mentor, ensuring her fellow immigrant students and others at the University of Minnesota have the support they need on their own journey and extending this outside the community.
Cavite City, Phillippines // University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN // Biology
Czarina Jimenez
An Industrial Welding Technology student at Fox Valley Technical College in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Abby plans to transfer to Ferris State University this fall to pursue Welding Engineering Technology. Since she first picked up a welding torch in high school and on her family's dairy farm, she has been hooked and her passion has continued to grow. Abby is very involved with the American Welding Society (AWS) and her local Fox Valley AWS section; in 2021, she was selected as a student representative at the AWS Leadership Symposium in Miami. Her goal is to combine her passion for welding and her love of aviation into a meaningful career, by getting her Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification and private pilot license.
New Lisbon, WI // Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI// Welding Engineering Technology
Abby Frisk
Elizabeth Doan’s parents are Vietnamese refugees who came to the U.S. with nothing but the clothes on their backs; they opened a small plant nursery and worked from dawn to dusk to support Elizabeth and her three siblings. Over the years, hurricane damage would leave them starting over; worse, the terrible freeze that struck Texas in 2020 killed nearly every plant —all while Elizabeth’s mother was recovering from breast cancer treatment. In the face of these struggles, Elizabeth was inspired by the dedication and passion of her mom’s doctors. She made it her mission to go to medical school and serve other families like hers in need of hope; the Dream Award will help her complete her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and take the next step.
Orange, TX // University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX // Biochemistry
Elizabeth-Tho Doan
Luke Cowart’s passion for medicine comes from personal experience. A birth defect led him to grow up with two deformed feet, and only an experimental reconstructive surgery put him on the path to pain-free movement. He lost his grandmother to lung cancer, and his father is undergoing aggressive cancer treatments as well. Luke’s dream is to help end suffering due to cancer; he’s working to turn that dream into a reality by pursuing cutting-edge research in medicine and nanotechnology. In addition, he was inspired by his volunteer work to pursue Emergency Medical Technician training, and has worked as a frontline EMT throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke has faced no shortage of personal challenges, and he hopes to use his story to help lead and inspire others.
Kennett Square, PA // Penn State University, State College, PA // Chemistry & Biology
Luke Cowart
When Lex Caoile and his mother came to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2013, it was with high hopes: his mom was about to get married, and Lex would have a father figure. But when they were abandoned several months later, the new immigrants found themselves homeless and alone. They were making plans to go back when their church found Lex’s mother a job; in 2019, the two became American citizens, and, thanks to Arizona State’s accelerated degree program, Lex became the first in his family to attend college in the USA, barely 16. He is a skilled programmer and engineer pursuing a degree in electrical engineering; after graduation, he hopes to build a career as a designer, creator and innovator in the semiconductor industry, helping people around the globe connect, learn from and help one another.
Chandler, AZ // Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ // Electrical Engineering
Angel Alessandro “Lex” Caoile
School was always a struggle for Logan Bradley, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age 3. Emotional and social anxiety issues led him to miss a year of middle school, and he began high school in home instruction before transitioning back to the classroom. In spite of these obstacles—and a difficult financial situation, compounded by COVID and his mother’s disability—Logan remained committed to college, and earned a Psychology Transfer Pathway degree at Minnesota’s Inver Hills Community College. With help from the Dream Award, he is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Augsburg University, using his experience as president of the local (IHCC) Alpha Omicron Beta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international college honor society
Apple Valley, MN // Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN // Community Psychology
Logan Bradley
During his high school years, Jamir Bowers excelled in the classroom and served as a tireless community volunteer. Due to high economical costs tethered to the pursuit of education, he knew money would be tight for college. And when debilitating illness left his mom unable to work, he turned to scholarships and financial aid to continue following his dream—a dream he hopes will contribute to better Black representation throughout the film industry. Majoring in Arts and Humanities and Digital Storytelling at Michigan State, Jamir’s goal is to earn his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and become an executive producer, fostering more consistent and viable representation for his community both on screen and behind the scenes. Eventually, he hopes to start a production company of his own, creating jobs and facilitating increased equity and diversity in the industry.
Lincoln Park, MI // Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI // Arts & Humanities
Jamir Bowers
On Anysia Boozer’s 12th birthday, she said goodbye to her father as he was taken to jail. Despite the pain she felt, she held onto his advice: work hard in everything, and let go of the things you can’t control. That advice inspired her to take on a part-time job, working to help support her family while excelling in school, playing varsity sports and volunteering to help those in need. She dreamed of becoming a doctor, and didn’t let any of the obstacles she faced get in the way—after graduating with a 4.52 high school GPA, she says “I grabbed my diploma and promptly went home, loaded my Grandma’s old Honda with my clothes, a secondhand computer [and] some XL twin sheets, and headed south” to Mercer University. At Mercer, she is a pre-med student working toward a biology degree, with plans to become an anesthesiologist—and a role model for girls in her community.
Cartersville, GA // Mercer University, Macon, GA // Neuroscience
Anysia Boozer
Born in Syria, Sara Alsaifi was just six years old when her family left the escalating tensions of her home country and emigrated to the United States. Because of the jarring relocation and the language barrier, she started school behind her peers—but her aptitude, adaptability and a strong support system saw her taking nine Advanced Placement courses by the time she got to high school. Along the way, she became “captivated by the groundbreaking research, the novel creations, and the ever-growing curiosity that the field of medicine encompassed,” and decided to focus on a future career in science and medicine. She volunteered at a hospital in her adopted hometown of Boise, Idaho; staying near home, she enrolled at Boise State with plans to major in molecular biology, while rounding out her studies by exploring as many fields and disciplines as possible.
Boise, ID // Boise State University, Boise, ID// Molecular Biology
Sara Alsaifi
Meet the 2022 Dream Award Scholars
Celebrate Scholars. Honor Champions. Invest in Dreams.
Since 2009, Devon Woodfine has balanced work, school and caregiving. His mother is battling an autoimmune disease and chronic arthritis; Devon had to take over the role of head of household and primary caregiver, taking a job with the nonprofit Brotherhood Crusade to make ends meet. College costs are a constant challenge, and living at home means long commutes to campus on public transportation—but Devon’s passion for using technology to solve problems won’t be diminished. He is focusing on biomedical engineering, hoping to create innovations that improve patient outcomes, enhance patient experiences, and reduce costs. After he graduates, his goal is to earn a Ph.D. and focus on nanoscale solutions for the treatment of lung, liver, kidney and other diseases.
Los Angeles, CA // California Polytechnic University Pomona, Pomona, CA // Biomedical Engineering
Devon Woodfine
The deck was stacked against Marciela Rodrigues from the beginning. Due to her mother’s drug use, Marciela was born addicted to methamphetamines, opiates, and alcohol; she grew up experiencing homelessness and food insecurity; she was separated from her siblings and lived in numerous foster homes. In spite of all this—and a diagnosis of dyslexia—Marciela pushed herself forward to change her life for the better. Today, she is studying applied mathematics with a focus on data science at UC-Berkeley and says “As a first-generation, low-income, Latinx, former foster youth, woman in STEM, I made sure to utilize every opportunity.” Leading by example, she volunteers to help students from marginalized circumstances, and she even founded the first ever scientific research team composed entirely of former foster youth. Marciela says her ultimate goal is to help others by merging her STEM degree with her passion for the social sciences.
Ukiah, CA// University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA // Applied Mathematics & Data Science
Marciela Rodrigues
A nationally recognized and varsity letter-winning equestrian rider, Kaitlyn Praisler is dedicated to animal health and wellness—and she’s not letting education obstacles get in her way. Since preschool, Kaitlyn has struggled with a learning disability that resulted in speech and learning delays. Thanks to individualized plans, hard work and dedicated support, she succeeded in high school and moved on to college, even though money was tight; and Kaitlyn’s older brother is on the autism spectrum. Thanks to the Dream Award, Kaitlyn is working toward completing her education, studying for a degree in veterinary technology at Morehead State University with a career dream to become a registered veterinary technologist.
West Salem, OH // Morehead State University, Morehead, KY // Veterinary Technology
Kaitlyn Praisler
Mitchell Peterson survived childhood cancer, but that wasn’t the end of his medical journey. The chemical toxicity of chemotherapy led to heart failure, and Mitchell received a new heart in the summer of 2019. Medical challenges are still a fact of life—but this first-generation college student says going back to school has been the most uplifting and empowering choice he has made since his transplant. With a new lease on life, he wants to empower others to succeed, find their own drive, and keep progressing. To achieve that goal, he is studying computer science with a focus in engineering at Diablo Valley College. Mitchell is passionate about quantum mechanics as key to our future and wants to work for a company where he can use his skills to develop programs and hardware that will aid in the quality of life for everyone, especially those managing health drawbacks.
Oakland, CA // Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA // Engineering
Mitchell Peterson
Jena Parry’s mom was a strong family matriarch: a hardworking accountant that Jena also considered her best friend. But when her mom’s back injury spiraled into narcotic addiction and depression, Jena knew she needed a fresh start in a new setting. When she moved to St. Louis, the distance apart allowed Jena and her mother to mend their relationship before her mom passed away in early 2020. Now, as a young adult who has worked hard to make ends meet, Jena is back in school seeking a career she’s passionate about. She believes in building a better future for herself through physical wellness, and feels fulfilled when she can help others do the same; she hopes to earn her master’s degree in exercise science, and join a sports team staff or open her own exercise and wellness facility.
Saint Louis, MO // Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, MO // Exercise Science
Jena Parry
In 2019, Giovanni Olla and his four brothers were involved in a horrible car accident. All five young men were hospitalized; tragically, one of his brothers died, while another faced extensive rehabilitation and therapy after surviving an 11-day coma. The tragedy brought Giovanni’s family closer, but his recovery meant he missed out on sports, activities and school at the start of his senior year. Anxious to catch up and prepare himself for the future, he applied for the University of Chicago, which accepts just 6% of applicants—and he made it. He’s majoring in philosophy and psychology to prepare himself for a career in consulting and management, with a long-term goal to work in the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Kewaskum, WI // University of Chicago, Chicago, IL // Philosophy & Psychology
Giovanni Olla
When she was 14, Haila Morris had her life upended by a lymphoma diagnosis. Going through treatment at Memphis’s St. Jude Hospital—four hours away from home in Huntsville, Alabama—she missed her basketball season, her volunteering time and nearly a quarter of the school year. Afterwards, she was determined to make up the work in her challenging honor courses. She finished the year with an A average, and her health challenge helped her mature, grow mentally and become more resilient. Today, Halia dreams to become a marine research biologist; she is working towards her degree in marine and environmental science at Hampton University. She hopes to focus on marine ecology, study how humans are affecting marine ecosystems, and increase marine and environmental awareness by inspiring sustainable living.
Huntsville, AL // Hampton University, Hampton, VA // Marine & Environmental Science
Halia Morris
Mara Land’s educational journey has been shaped by her hearing loss. As a young girl, she struggled to understand teachers, missed important information, and felt left out of conversations. When Mara and her mother started learning American Sign Language (ASL) through a deaf mentoring service, it opened up a whole new world of communication as well as a transformative experience of having a deaf role model for self-advocacy guidance. Learning ASL came quickly and naturally to Mara, but she still had to do all of her learning outside school; she estimates she traveled 30,000 miles for classes and lessons, and she had to fight school administrators who wanted to cut the budget for her ASL interpreter. The experience made her a passionate advocate for deaf students; today, Mara is following that passion by working toward a degree in communication studies at Gallaudet University, the nation’s premier university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Dell Rapids, SD // Gallaudet University, Washington, DC // Communication Studies
Mara Land
As a first grader, new to the United States and not knowing English, Vietnamese immigrant Vy Nguyen practiced arithmetic and the alphabet anywhere she could: etched into a desk, or written in crayon on a cabinet. Years later, working on high school homework at that same desk, she decided to pursue a degree and career in nursing—and today, the Dream Award is helping her work toward her undergraduate degree, a first step toward her goal of achieving a doctorate. While she studies, Vy is also volunteering at a Portland hospital, and she hopes to continue learning something new each day, helping her community and providing much-needed care at home and around the world.
Portland, OR // University of Portland, Portland, OR // Nursing
Vy Nguyen
A single mother whose daughter was born with multiple special needs, Tonesia is a student and inspirational speaker, pursuing her dreams of becoming an obstetrics nurse and author. She’s working toward her degree in nursing at Wayne County Community College in Detroit; her goal is to educate and offer guidance on topics of health, wellness, medical support and community resources to new mothers. An avid writer, Tonesia has penned inspirational articles, poetry, and children’s books; as a speaker, she had the opportunity to share a stage with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Tonesia says her daughter’s health struggles have taught her the true meaning of faith, sacrifice and unconditional love, and she continues to work hard in school to create a better life for herself and her family.
Eastpointe, MI // Wayne County Community College, Detroit, MI // Nursing
Tonesia Nesbitt
Growing up, Abigail knew her family’s resources for college would be stretched thin. Both of her parents live with chronic illnesses, and she is one of three siblings all reaching college age around the same time. But rather than delaying her education, Abigail was motivated to find financial support to get a college education. A homeschooled native of Iron, Minnesota, she discovered her desire to be a scientist early on, and her time at Itasca Community College fostered her passion for biology and chemistry. With the help of the Dream Award, she will continue working toward an integrated engineering degree through Minnesota State University’s Iron Range Engineering Program (IRE), striving to help others in her community by advancing scientific and engineering knowledge.
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Abigail Lauer
A first-generation college student and immigrant from the Philippines, Czarina Jimenez embraces challenges. To help her single-parent family with their finances, she balances her studies with working multiple part-time jobs alongside her extracurriculars. To further her education, the native Tagalog speaker has worked hard to master English as a second language. And, to achieve what she says is “my biggest life goal, which is to give back to my family and my community through medicine,” she’s pursuing a pre-med degree in biology with a minor in leadership. In addition, Czarina has worked extensively as a tutor and mentor, ensuring her fellow immigrant students and others at the University of Minnesota have the support they need on their own journey and extending this outside the community.
Cavite City, Phillippines // University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN // Biology
Czarina Jimenez
An Industrial Welding Technology student at Fox Valley Technical College in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Abby plans to transfer to Ferris State University this fall to pursue Welding Engineering Technology. Since she first picked up a welding torch in high school and on her family's dairy farm, she has been hooked and her passion has continued to grow. Abby is very involved with the American Welding Society (AWS) and her local Fox Valley AWS section; in 2021, she was selected as a student representative at the AWS Leadership Symposium in Miami. Her goal is to combine her passion for welding and her love of aviation into a meaningful career, by getting her Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification and private pilot license.
New Lisbon, WI // Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, WI// Welding Engineering Technology
Abby Frisk
Elizabeth Doan’s parents are Vietnamese refugees who came to the U.S. with nothing but the clothes on their backs; they opened a small plant nursery and worked from dawn to dusk to support Elizabeth and her three siblings. Over the years, hurricane damage would leave them starting over; worse, the terrible freeze that struck Texas in 2020 killed nearly every plant —all while Elizabeth’s mother was recovering from breast cancer treatment. In the face of these struggles, Elizabeth was inspired by the dedication and passion of her mom’s doctors. She made it her mission to go to medical school and serve other families like hers in need of hope; the Dream Award will help her complete her Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and take the next step.
Orange, TX // University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX // Biochemistry
Elizabeth-Tho Doan
Luke Cowart’s passion for medicine comes from personal experience. A birth defect led him to grow up with two deformed feet, and only an experimental reconstructive surgery put him on the path to pain-free movement. He lost his grandmother to lung cancer, and his father is undergoing aggressive cancer treatments as well. Luke’s dream is to help end suffering due to cancer; he’s working to turn that dream into a reality by pursuing cutting-edge research in medicine and nanotechnology. In addition, he was inspired by his volunteer work to pursue Emergency Medical Technician training, and has worked as a frontline EMT throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke has faced no shortage of personal challenges, and he hopes to use his story to help lead and inspire others.
Kennett Square, PA // Penn State University, State College, PA // Chemistry & Biology
Luke Cowart
When Lex Caoile and his mother came to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2013, it was with high hopes: his mom was about to get married, and Lex would have a father figure. But when they were abandoned several months later, the new immigrants found themselves homeless and alone. They were making plans to go back when their church found Lex’s mother a job; in 2019, the two became American citizens, and, thanks to Arizona State’s accelerated degree program, Lex became the first in his family to attend college in the USA, barely 16. He is a skilled programmer and engineer pursuing a degree in electrical engineering; after graduation, he hopes to build a career as a designer, creator and innovator in the semiconductor industry, helping people around the globe connect, learn from and help one another.
Chandler, AZ // Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ // Electrical Engineering
Angel Alessandro “Lex” Caoile
School was always a struggle for Logan Bradley, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age 3. Emotional and social anxiety issues led him to miss a year of middle school, and he began high school in home instruction before transitioning back to the classroom. In spite of these obstacles—and a difficult financial situation, compounded by COVID and his mother’s disability—Logan remained committed to college, and earned a Psychology Transfer Pathway degree at Minnesota’s Inver Hills Community College. With help from the Dream Award, he is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Augsburg University, using his experience as president of the local (IHCC) Alpha Omicron Beta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international college honor society
Apple Valley, MN // Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN // Community Psychology
Logan Bradley
During his high school years, Jamir Bowers excelled in the classroom and served as a tireless community volunteer. Due to high economical costs tethered to the pursuit of education, he knew money would be tight for college. And when debilitating illness left his mom unable to work, he turned to scholarships and financial aid to continue following his dream—a dream he hopes will contribute to better Black representation throughout the film industry. Majoring in Arts and Humanities and Digital Storytelling at Michigan State, Jamir’s goal is to earn his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and become an executive producer, fostering more consistent and viable representation for his community both on screen and behind the scenes. Eventually, he hopes to start a production company of his own, creating jobs and facilitating increased equity and diversity in the industry.
Lincoln Park, MI // Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI // Arts & Humanities
Jamir Bowers
On Anysia Boozer’s 12th birthday, she said goodbye to her father as he was taken to jail. Despite the pain she felt, she held onto his advice: work hard in everything, and let go of the things you can’t control. That advice inspired her to take on a part-time job, working to help support her family while excelling in school, playing varsity sports and volunteering to help those in need. She dreamed of becoming a doctor, and didn’t let any of the obstacles she faced get in the way—after graduating with a 4.52 high school GPA, she says “I grabbed my diploma and promptly went home, loaded my Grandma’s old Honda with my clothes, a secondhand computer [and] some XL twin sheets, and headed south” to Mercer University. At Mercer, she is a pre-med student working toward a biology degree, with plans to become an anesthesiologist—and a role model for girls in her community.
Cartersville, GA // Mercer University, Macon, GA // Neuroscience
Anysia Boozer
Born in Syria, Sara Alsaifi was just six years old when her family left the escalating tensions of her home country and emigrated to the United States. Because of the jarring relocation and the language barrier, she started school behind her peers—but her aptitude, adaptability and a strong support system saw her taking nine Advanced Placement courses by the time she got to high school. Along the way, she became “captivated by the groundbreaking research, the novel creations, and the ever-growing curiosity that the field of medicine encompassed,” and decided to focus on a future career in science and medicine. She volunteered at a hospital in her adopted hometown of Boise, Idaho; staying near home, she enrolled at Boise State with plans to major in molecular biology, while rounding out her studies by exploring as many fields and disciplines as possible.
Boise, ID // Boise State University, Boise, ID// Molecular Biology
Sara Alsaifi
Meet the 2022 Dream Award Scholars
Entertainment Spotlight: Mandy Harvey
Mandy Harvey is a singer, songwriter, author, and speaker who happens to be deaf. Mandy was Simon Cowell‘s “Golden Buzzer” pick on America’s Got Talent. The video has collectively received over 500 million views.
Mandy uses her talents and artistry to encourage others which can be seen by her many acts as part of nonprofit organizations such as No Barriers USA and work for “Music: Not Impossible” with Not Impossible Labs. Her heart is to help others achieve their dreams by encouraging them to “Try” and move forward as a community.
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Keynote Speaker: Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D.
Meria Carstarphen has more than 20 years of transformational leadership and executive management experience in education, with a track record of dramatically improving student and organizational outcomes. Nationally recognized as an experienced public education leader skilled at managing billion-dollar organizations efficiently and effectively, her collective impact spans over 800,000 students, more than 20,000 employees and hundreds of schools. Over her career, she has served as teacher, administrator, and superintendent in major metropolitan American public school districts including Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Most recently, she joined Gallup as a Senior Scientist, the first ever in education. Her current work is focused on solving global illiteracy by integrating human and artificially intelligent learning systems to teach the science of reading.
Read Dr. Carstarphen's full bio.
Musical Guest: Shana Tucker ChamberSoul Cello & Songs
Cellist. Singer-Songwriter. Arts Advocate. Teaching Artist. Collaborator. Cultural Conduit. Shana's unique genre of ChamberSoul weaves jazz, roots, folk, acoustic pop, and a touch of R&B into melodies that echo in your head for days, engaging audiences of all ages through candid song-storytelling in performance.
A front-line advocate for arts education, Shana is an accomplished teaching artist, with over 20 years’ experience with community engagement, workshops, lesson planning and artist residency facilitation. She currently serves as Executive Director for Kidznotes, an El Sistema-inspired music-for-social-change organization in Durham, NC.
Read Shana's full bio.
Special Guests at Dreams to Success
Cellist. Singer-Songwriter. Arts Advocate. Teaching Artist. Collaborator. Cultural Conduit. Shana's unique genre of ChamberSoul weaves jazz, roots, folk, acoustic pop, and a touch of R&B into melodies that echo in your head for days, engaging audiences of all ages through candid song-storytelling in performance.
A sought-after collaborator, Shana performs and records with legendary jazz saxophonist/composer Bennie Maupin, jazz flutist/composer Nicole Mitchell, Grammy-nominated NuSoul collective The Foreign Exchange and countless others. Recent North Carolina dance/cello collaborations include They Are All, an exploration of living with Parkinson’s Disease, presented at American Dance Festival 2019 with Culture Mill choreographers Murielle Elizeon and Tommy Noonan; and Continuing To Tell, a multidisciplinary public-space performance presented by Proxemic Media that highlights the history of Civil Rights in Durham, NC. Shana's film scoring credits most recently include The Legacy Of Black Wall Street (June 2021), a 2-part documentary series on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network that followed the rise of the 36-block economic hub in Oklahoma’s Greenwood district up until its tragic destruction at the hands of racist mobs.
Shortly after the release of her debut CD, SHiNE in 2011, Cirque du Soleil recruiters heard an NPR interview with Shana about her ChamberSoul songwriting and performance style, they invited her to be cellist/vocalist for their show, KÀ in Las Vegas, where she performed for five years before returning to North Carolina. Ever the citizen artist, Shana is the recipient of several grants nationwide: United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County - North Carolina and two Nevada Arts Council grants, including the prestigious Artist Fellowship for her exemplary work as a Performing Artist. Additionally, Shana has served on review panels and advisory committees for arts organizations across the country, including United Arts Council (Raleigh, NC), South Arts (Atlanta, GA), Durham Arts Council (Durham, NC) Nevada Arts Council (Carson City, NV), and NCPC ArtsMarket (Durham, NC).
A front-line advocate for arts education, Shana is an accomplished teaching artist, with over 20 years’ experience with community engagement, workshops, lesson planning and artist residency facilitation. She currently serves as Executive Director for Kidznotes, an El Sistema-inspired music-for-social-change organization in Durham, NC. -- www.shanatucker.com
Shana Tucker: ChamberSoul Cello & Songs
Richard Lui is a thought leader at the intersection of media, social impact, and storytelling. He is a content and digital-social specialist with 30 years of experience in television, technology, and business. He is the author of Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness.
Currently, he is a journalist and news anchor for MSNBC and NBC News. Before that, he was news anchor at CNN Worldwide, where he became the first Asian American male to anchor a daily national news broadcast in the U.S. Most recently, Lui reported on the ground on the Paris and San Bernadino Terror Attacks and in Ferguson and Baltimore during heightened racial unrest.
Lui is also a technologist with a wide-reaching business career that started in the 1990s. He launched five technology brands over three technology cycles, most recently an artificial intelligence company in Silicon Valley in 2016. While at Citibank Singapore, he co-founded and patented a Visa-like payments backbone and was a management consultant at Mercer for an IBM joint venture.
Lui sits on five boards of directors / advisers in spaces ranging from international relations to artificial intelligence. He is a 2016 Governance Fellow for the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Lui’s accolades and achievements include the top echelon of business, political and journalism distinctions. In addition to being a team Emmy and team Peabody recipient, he has been recognized for his reporting from national organizations including the National Education Association, Advancing Justice, AAJA, NAAAP 100 and WWAAC. He is ranked globally in the top 1% of social media users by Twitter Counter. Business Insider named Lui one of 21 careers to watch alongside Warren Buffett and Sheryl Sandberg. And more lightheartedly, he’s been ranked three years in a row by Mediaite as one of the “50 Sexiest in TV News.”
Lui is a Policy Fellow at the University of California Riverside where he explores the cross of public policy and media, UN Spokesperson for the HeForShe Campaign, one of 100 US State Department Traveling Speakers, and ambassador for NGOs focusing on gender equality and human trafficking.
Lui graduated from City College of San Francisco with A.S. Honors in Math and Science, UC Berkeley with a B.A. Honors Rhetoric, and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan with an MBA.
Emcee Spotlight: Richard Lui
Meria Carstarphen has more than 20 years of transformational leadership and executive management experience, with a track record of dramatically improving student and organizational outcomes. She is passionate about working to make communities stronger especially through the equalizing power of education from early childhood through college.
Nationally recognized as an experienced public education leader skilled at managing billion-dollar organizations efficiently and effectively, her collective impact spans over 800,000 students, more than 20,000 employees and hundreds of schools. Over her career, she has served as teacher, administrator, and superintendent in major metropolitan American public school districts including Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and Saint Paul, Minnesota. While her most immediate background has been domestically focused, she has also worked and studied abroad. Most recently, she was named Senior Scientist, the first ever in education, for Gallup. Her current work is focused on solving global illiteracy by integrating human and automated learning systems through the science of reading.
Carstarphen has demonstrated experience working closely with local, state, and national elected officials to make recommendations and advise on policy for public institutions, ranging from human trafficking and community health to accountability assessments and economic impact. Meria has shared her expertise on blogs, podcasts, speeches, and panels as well as publications in National Geographic, Education Week, The 74 Million, Forbes, and School Administrator magazines and other periodicals. She also serves as an executive coach and contributes to research to support the field on American urban superintendency.
Carstarphen's instructional experience includes teaching Spanish and documentary photography at the middle school level as well elementary educational work abroad in Seville, Spain and Caracas, Venezuela. She earned a doctorate in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy with a concentration in urban superintendency from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Carstarphen received Master of Education degrees from Harvard and Auburn University graduate schools and a bachelor of arts degree in political science and Spanish from Tulane University. She has also studied at the University of Seville, Spain and University of Innsbruck, Austria.
She supports college and graduate scholarship programs at the University of Michigan, the London School of Economics and Tulane University, where as an alumna, serves on the President’s Council.
Carstarphen hails from Selma, Alabama where she began her teaching career.
Keynote Speaker: Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D.
Leader of transformation. Expert in urban education. Advocate for children and families. Daughter of Selma, Alabama. Champion for change.
Event Spotlight
What Does Your Gift Mean to Our Scholars?
Read Dr. Carstarphen's bio.
Read Shana Tucker's bio.
Keynote Speaker:
Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D.
Keynote Speaker:
Shana Tucker ChamberSoul Cello & Songs
Musical Guest: Shana Tucker ChamberSoul Cello & Songs
Cellist. Singer-Songwriter. Arts Advocate. Teaching Artist. Collaborator. Cultural Conduit. Shana's unique genre of ChamberSoul weaves jazz, roots, folk, acoustic pop, and a touch of R&B into melodies that echo in your head for days, engaging audiences of all ages through candid song-storytelling in performance.
A front-line advocate for arts education, Shana is an accomplished teaching artist, with over 20 years’ experience with community engagement, workshops, lesson planning and artist residency facilitation. She currently serves as Executive Director for Kidznotes, an El Sistema-inspired music-for-social-change organization in Durham, NC.
Read Shana's full bio.
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Emcee: Keith Chow
Keith is the editor-in-chief of the pop culture blog The Nerds of Color, a co-editor of the comics anthologies Secret Identities and Shattered, and host of the podcasts Hard NOC Life and Southern Fried Asian. He is also the Director of Program Operations and Management for New Leaders, an organization that develops transformational, equity-minded school leaders. His writing has been featured in the New York Times, NBC News, and SYFY Wire. Vanity Fair calls Keith an "incisive interviewer and chummy conversationalist."
Visit The Nerds of Color
7:00pm EST - Welcome
7:05pm EST - Pre-show
7:20pm EST - Program Begins
- Musical Guest - Shana Tucker
- Keynote Speaker - Dr. Meria Carstarphen
- Student Profiles
- Fund-a-Need
- ...and more!
Program Schedule
Thank You to All Our Sponsors and Donors!