Putting a Face to Scholarships: Amari's Story
Chris Gray, Ph.D.
Founding President, Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania
We've all had those nights, especially around this time of year, where there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day. On these nights, fatigue catches up and hits hard. Maybe you can't bring yourself to make dinner and pick up takeout instead. Maybe you sit down on the couch to decompress and find instead that you just slept through an entire episode of Squid Game. I'm talking about the kind of fatigue that wearies you to the bone and feels impossible in the moment.
For some, it's fatigue from the balancing act of juggling work, home, family, and school. Of running on empty. For others, it's the quiet ache of constant worry, wondering just how it will all get done, how the tuition will get paid, how the kiddos will get to that after-school activity, or just how to squeeze in the grocery run to an already overbooked schedule. It feels overwhelming because it is, and school becomes just one more thing.
That's why scholarships matter to our students who are always trying to do too much – and succeeding in their efforts. Scholarships don't just provide financial help to these folks. Rather, they actually act as lifelines in many cases. They are permission slips. They are a chance to exhale and recenter. They offer support when it feels impossible.
I sometimes like to put a face to these stories, and today, I want to highlight EC3 student Amari. Amari is a mother to a bright four-year-old and is expecting another child soon. She works as a medical technologist now, and she is pursuing her RN credential at EC3 before transferring to Mercyhurst University. As you can see, Amari's got a lot on her plate, and her day begins before dawn and ends well after sunset; somehow, she's making it all work. And, of course, she's working to change her life.
Because of scholarship support, Amari can focus on making her dream a reality. She can focus on the microscope slides, the anatomy charts, the long lectures, and her clinical placement. She can focus on learning, not figuring out how to afford college.
Scholarships remind us why we do this work at EC3. They are more than words on a brochure. They are a way to put our money where our mouth is: in this case, a way to show our belief that a hardworking mom deserves a shot and that students of all backgrounds deserve a chance to access these opportunities.
When she crosses the stage at her RN graduation, Amari won't just be earning a pin or a degree. She'll be showing her children that dreams matter. That support matters. That putting belief behind people — especially when their lives are already stretched thin — changes everything. As it should.
So if you ever wonder why we ask for donations or why scholarship funds are such a priority for us here at EC3, remember Amari. Remember the young mom studying late while her child sleeps upstairs. Remember the quiet longing that builds behind half-written essays, behind coffee-stained notes, behind grueling shifts at work. Remember that Amari dared to dream of something more for her family, and then she set out to make it happen. And she will. I have no doubt.
At the end of the day, scholarships don't just help one student. They help a whole family. They help a community. They help build futures when it feels like everything is heavy and impossible. They are lifelines. They are new beginnings. They are second chances. As they should be.
Our community: your college.
