Keara Watson

Being selected as the winner of the Pool Family Scholarship is an absolute honor for me. I am beyond proud to have been chosen to represent this award for the LGBTQ+ community and for the Pool family. Not only did this scholarship allow me to pay for tuition expenses, but it also came at the perfect time when I was unsure if I was going to be able to add enough classes to be a full-time student. Also, moving from Illinois to Florida to attend college a few months ago was quite terrifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I was in the car, in the middle of an 18 hour drive to move to Florida when I got the text message about winning this scholarship. To me, it was a sign that I was making the right decision, and to continue to face my fears head on. I want to thank the Pool family for their support of continuing education for a struggling member of the LGBTQ+ community. You made me continue to believe that there is so much good in this world if we just search for it, and you helped me check one more box off of my list of future goals!