Scholarship Helps First-Generation Student Cross the Finish Line

Melony B. received a scholarship in her last semester that enabled her to cover her tuition costs and go on to graduate.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Melony knew what she wanted out of her college experience: a diverse, challenging academic environment located within the heart of the hustle and bustle of an urban environment. When it came time to apply, Temple was a natural fit. Upon being accepted, she became the first in her family to attend college.

With limited assistance from her parents, she traveled to the East Coast and began working full time while also grappling with an intense academic workload. Due to limited resources, at times Melony had to make difficult decisions that a startlingly large number of college students face: choosing between paying for a textbook and buying groceries, to registering for a class and saving for next month’s rent.

Despite these challenges, Melony was able to continue her education with assistance from the Broad Street Finish Line Scholarship and turn her student internship at Lockheed Martin into an offer for a full-time job postgraduation.

“I wasn’t sure in my last semester if I was going to be able to find enough money to cover the rest of my tuition, let alone my living expenses. This was very stressful, especially since I had gotten so close….To have to stop then, even temporarily, was a devastating thought,” she says. “However, I received $1,000 from the Broad Street Finish Line Scholarship, and it was such a relief. The grant helped close the gap in my remaining tuition costs, and it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I was able to focus more on my courses—especially my senior design project, where I was the project manager. We launched a student-designed payload on a NASA rocket in June 2020!”

You can help students, like Melony, cross the finish line and earn the Temple education they desire with a gift in your will. Contact Tom Yates at (215) 926-2545 or tyates@temple.edu to learn more.