Degree: Bachelor’s of Social Work
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
Without the Stamps Scholarship, I would not have been able to attend the University of Illinois. Not only did the Stamps Scholarship make this opportunity financially possible, it gave me a sense of belonging that I had previously been unable to find. It can be easy to feel small when you attend a University that has 40,000+ students on the campus. Being a part of the Stamps community allowed me to feel at home – it let me be a part of a family that encouraged me each day to be the best version of myself that I possibly could. I think about the Stamps Scholarship and the Stamps Foundation every single day. I will always be thankful for its generosity and the way in which it has shaped my undergraduate experience, and my entire life.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your freshman self?
Believe the words “keep choosing to do what you love, and it will work out.” I promise, it does work out, and it is better than you could have imagined.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
My roommates Taylor, Maria, and Brittany (who is also a Stamps scholar!). My roommates are the best people on this entire earth! I am so thankful that, no matter what kind of day I have had, I am able to come home to an apartment filled with so much positivity and endless support. They will absolutely be what I miss most about the University of Illinois.
What comes next?
I will be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago for the 2019-2020 school year to earn my Master’s in Social Work. I will concurrently be completing an internship at Palatine High School in order to become specialized in school social work so that I can become a high school social worker.