| Dominic Ponce Dominic is a Spanish Education major at Quinnipiac University with ultimate plans of teaching Spanish at the high school level. She has prepared for this profession by taking four years of Spanish, holding the position as President of the Spanish Club, and being a member of the Educators Rising Club all at Platt High School. She has also invested her personal time developing her Spanish fluency and volunteering as a Spanish tutor for children aged 4-12 over the last couple of years. She shares concerns of coming from a low-income family and worries about her future college tuition debt. She is relying heavily on financial aid and scholarships. She thanks her CONNTAC Counselor, Tomeka Williams, for helping her with completing and submitting her FAFSA. “Tomeka was great! She was very flexible and answered all of my questions.” Dominic explains that the scholarship will help her with getting books and transportation, as she will be commuting. Suseth |
| Susteh Davis Suseth currently attends Capital Community College with dreams of becoming a Nurse. She looks forward to making a difference in the lives of individuals and the community. Before migrating to the United States from Jamaica, Suseth participated in netball, track and field, and volleyball while in high school. She also taught Sunday School, as a member of the Interschool Christian Fellowship Club. She is presently an Usher, Ambassador and Greeter at her current church. Additionally, she delivers food, clothing and personal items to those in need at the park. She wholeheartedly believes that these activities have helped her with her community and people skills. While pursuing her GED at the Adult Education Center in Hartford, she was introduced to Tomeka Williams and the CONNTAC-EOC program. “I followed up with her, and she made sure my applications were filled out properly. Tomeka re-motivated me.” Suseth shares that the scholarship will help her purchase a laptop, books and transportation. |
| Kelly Aguilar Kelly is a Digital Media major with a concentration in Video Production at the University of Valley Forge. She has ultimate goals of becoming a Television or Movie Producer. Throughout her school years, Kelly faced some life-changing obstacles. Her mother suffered a stroke which left her disabled in 2013. Then, her father had to undergo open heart surgery in 2018. These times were extremely difficult, as Kelly had to take care of her parents while trying her best at school. Sadly, her father has recently passed away. As she overcomes these obstacles, she is filled with a heavy responsibility, and she is determined to pursue higher education. She credits extracurricular activities, including, The WestWord and Reverb Student Ministries for helping to shape her into who she is as a person and developing her interests and values. She appreciates her CONNTAC Counselor, DeShayla Shelley, for explaining the different types of financial aid and giving her advice on student loans. “DeShayla assisted me a lot. She was very warm, honest and answered all of my questions.” Kelly says that the scholarship will help her with tuition and housing. “It will lift a huge weight off of my shoulders so that I can focus on my academics.” |