The COVID-19 pandemic might have interrupted the school year for U.S. college students, but their dreams continue. And a local student was one of 21 in the nation to receive Scholarship America’s 2020 Dream Award, a renewable scholarship for students with financial need who have overcome challenges to pursue their college ambitions.
L.A. resident and Dream Award recipient Audrey Hammond will pursue a bachelor’s degree in applied information management systems with an African American studies minor at Loyola Marymount University. “I am honored to be selected as a Dream Award recipient,” says Hammond. “This scholarship allows me to focus more on gaining the knowledge I need to prepare for my future career. As a Dream Award recipient, I intend to be a guide for fellow first-generation, low-income students.”
Scholarship America is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider. Since the Dream Award was created in 2014, 108 students have been awarded scholarships totaling nearly $2 million.
“This is an impressive group of resilient academic achievers who are focused on building a brighter future for their careers, while also helping their families and communities,” says Robert C. Ballard, president and CEO of Scholarship America. “They have overcome major challenges in their lives, including serious illness, abandonment, abuse, family loss, poverty and homelessness, to pursue their dreams for their future. These students demonstrate the power of a scholarship in transforming their lives and paying it forward to help others.”
