Nicholas is a young man with a bright future ahead of him. But with the recent loss of his mother, becoming a foster parent to his three younger siblings at 21, living in a city where financial instability and violence lurk-Nicholas needs to not just survive but thrive. Due to his unique circumstances, he is not able to fund his studies, focusing instead on keeping his family together. The scholarship to pursue his Bachelor's degree will lead to the socioeconomic stability his family needs.
Nicholas is one person among only 26% of African American males who attain an Associate's Degree. He earned this degree while working part time at The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, the youth organization that nurtured him as a teen. For Nicholas, he must balance financing an education to increase opportunities for his family with household maintenance and childcare expenses. This scholarship would allow him to access a quality education while still being able to take care of his family.
This donation will allow Nicholas to register for two semesters of undergraduate courses at the local public college and complete his bachelor's degree. It will allow him to focus his current limited resources on providing for his family, including school supplies, uniforms and other household living expenses. Nicholas will be able to complete his undergraduate studies, allowing him greater access to employment opportunities and increasing his family's economic stability.
Continuing his educational experience, Nicholas will become an even more productive youth advocate. He has already brought national attention to the obstacles faced by youth within his community on the issues of educational inequity and fair policing. He is an inspiration to younger members of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol, where he is an employee and mentor. Your support will allow him to further contribute to bringing awareness to the social ills that plague low-income communities as a whole.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
