My name is Eddrika, and I am a proud HBCU graduate of South Carolina State University, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology, and a graduate of George Washington University, where I earned my Master of Public Health. Like so many Black women, I pursued higher education to create a better life for myself and my family, only to find that the weight of student loan debt made financial freedom feel out of reach. After starting with over $112,000 in student loan debt and working hard to pay it down, I understand firsthand the emotional and financial toll this burden places on Black women professionals. I created this scholarship because I believe that education should be a bridge to generational wealth, not a barrier to it. My goal is to provide direct financial relief to Black women who have done everything right, earned their degrees, entered their fields, and are still struggling under the weight of debt that the system was not designed for them to escape. This is my commitment to paying it forward and closing the gap, one woman at a time.