Hawk Houghton Memorial Scholarship

Receiving this scholarship will help me reach my goals of exploring my curiosity and passion to the fullest. On paper, I am an average black female coming from a single parent household that faced financial insecurities throughout my life. Which is hard in a community like Cheltenham where lots of students come from two parent households. Beyond that I am so much more, I am highly intellectual, caring and eager for knowledge. I feel as though people would look at my statistics and academic background and assume poorly of me, maybe that I am careless or complacent. In reality, I strive to achieve learning and personal growth in everything I do. A major interest of mine is human anatomy, pursuing this interest so far has been one of my best choices in life. In college, I plan to major in biology and one day become a general surgeon. I see myself living a life of consistent education, helping others, and being a role model to people who have had similar upbringings. This scholarship would open my options on where I could attend university and allow me to include myself in opportunities I may have been excluded from. At Cheltenham, I am a varsity cheerleader, junior prom queen and junior varsity soccer player. Each of these activities have taught me to exude positive energy, a supportive nature and school spirit. This school year in particular was challenging during football season due to the sport being suddenly cancelled. There were unfavorable accusations for the team but I made it a priority to be a positive student cheerleader regardless of what the team, band, cheerleaders were enduring. I would send daily affirmations to my fellow students, encourage the dissolution of rumors, and speak positively on those responsible being held accountable. Often, my peers would talk with me when they needed a daily pick up of positive feedback. This occurred often after videos of the incident and news reports would air. I would remind students of our true school community where we are very good students who work hard with fine teachers and facility who would do anything they can to help us be successful and supportive counselors who make our mental wellness a priority. Cheltenham High School faced scrutiny after what occurred with our football team but we are so much more than that isolated incident. I strive daily to remind my peers that our school is strong and well respected throughout Montgomery County. Most importantly, I strive to be a role model to underclassmen by having a positive attitude and being a classmate they can look up to. We are a special school that produces successful members of society. I feel proud to call Cheltenham my school and feel deeply about protecting my peers and our resilience.