她认为验光很有前途
A 蓝天奖学金 helped junior Heather Norland follow her dream without taking on a financial burden.
A 蓝天奖学金 changed Heather Norland’s college trajectory.
当诺兰庄园, 现在是卡罗莱纳大学的大三学生, 是在平原镇长大的, 北卡罗莱纳, she dreamed of becoming an optometrist but thought the goal would be difficult to achieve. Her high school offered limited opportunities to take Advanced Placement courses, so she worked concurrently to earn two associate degrees from a local community college to boost her chances of attending a top university.
Norland was also worried about paying for college and knew she would need a scholarship.
“I was getting scholarships to places out of state that just made it equivalent to in-state tuition. And I was getting scholarships to some smaller schools,诺兰说. “But I knew my potential was a lot higher, so I was at the crossroads of: Do I go somewhere where I wouldn’t reach my full potential because it was cheaper? Or do I place that financial burden on myself and go somewhere that I knew would challenge me?”
In the end, Norland didn’t have to choose either option. When she was accepted to Carolina, she also learned that she had earned the 蓝天奖学金. “I was ecstatic because I never thought I was going to get into UNC,” she said. “And then there was this little note under my acceptance that said ‘Congratulations, 你也是蓝天学者.我很惊讶. It was really a surprise, and it immediately solidified that I wanted to go to Carolina.”
The 蓝天奖学金 is an award given to exceptionally qualified students from middle-income 北卡罗莱纳 families who qualify for financial aid but do not meet the requirements for the Carolina Covenant. 除了他们的奖学金, recipients receive a work-study offer and a $2,500个充实机会补助金.
“没有奖学金, I don’t know where I would have ended up,诺兰说, “Because I could have taken that financial burden on myself or put it on my parents, 但我不想那么做.”
Norland credits the 蓝天奖学金 with opening a world of possibilities for her time at Carolina.
“Next summer I plan to go to Italy with the $2,500 enrichment fund. I’m going to shadow a few optometrists over there to see how eye care works internationally,诺兰说. “Without the enrichment fund, I wouldn’t have that opportunity.”
