Scholar Stories

Until she was five years old, Stephanie, her parents and older brother, lived with her grandparents in rural China; her aunts, uncles and cousins were only a short walk away. She spent her days playing with her cousins, going to kindergarten, and watching her grandparents, who were restaurant owners, catch fish from a nearby stream to serve their customers.

Moving to the United States provided Stephanie with opportunities she may not have experienced if her family had stayed in China. Her parents did not graduate from college; her grandparents did not have the equivalent of a high school education. After her parents moved the family to Chicago, Stephanie was encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities that American schools provided. She and her siblings were expected to go to college.

“I wanted to go to college to make my family proud,” Stephanie said, “I also want to educate myself more. I feel like the better educated you are, the better connected you are to the world.”

Receiving a renewable $3,000 scholarship from Dollars for Scholars® has relieved a huge burden for Stephanie’s family and will greatly reduce the amount of debt she’ll have when she graduates, especially with her goal of earning an advanced degree. Though she is still deciding on a major, Stephanie is certain of one thing.

“I want to use my college education to get a good job so I can support my mother and help her retire early. She has worked really hard for her family her whole life. Success for my future means making my parents proud.” 

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