Reynolds Great Expectations students Sophia Booker, Jasmine
Cook and Shakeema Isaac were recently honored with a $1,000 Momentum
Scholarship from the Virginia Higher Education Fund.
Through its Momentum Scholarships, the Virginia Higher
Education Fund encourages students who have experienced challenging life
conditions to push past obstacles and achieve success in higher education.
The Great Expectations program helps young adults, those who
are or were recently affiliated with the Virginia Foster Care System,
transition to college. More than 500 children in the Virginia foster care
system age out each year. Without social or family support, foster care
children experience significant challenges living on their own. However, with
access to education, foster care youth can find satisfying, well-paying
jobs.
Sophia expects to graduate from Reynolds in December, 2014
with an Associate Degree in Social Sciences. In addition to working
part-time in the Admissions Office at VCU, she was recently hired by Project
LIFE as the Youth Network Coordinator.
Jasmine graduated from Reynolds on May 11, 2014 with an Associate
Degree in Social Sciences and a General Education Certificate. Currently,
she is employed part-time in the Math, Science & Engineering department at
Reynolds. While a student at Reynolds, Jasmine served as the Vice
President of the Anime Club and was an active member of the Multicultural
Enrichment Council. Her goal is to make a positive difference in foster
care children and young adult lives. Jasmine
is featured in the Virginia Community College System Great Expectations’
video. http://www.reynolds.edu/get_started/great_expectations.aspx
Shakeema received her Career Studies Certificate from
Reynolds in May, 2013. Her Great Expectations mentor, Nina Wells, is an
owner of Kingdom Publishing Group. In May 2014, she and her mentor hosted
a blogtalkradio.com segment where they shared the plight of youth who age out
of foster care. Shakeema, the founder and owner of Love Yourself Graphics, will
start at VCU this fall majoring in Mass Communication.
Congratulations to all three scholarship recipients!
