“One of the most valuable gifts a person can receive is the chance to be educated. Higher education is something I took for granted once and it took me a long time to really understand why education is so important. Education is freedom, power, and the lack of it can create devastation. The Cheyney Foundation/PECO S.T.E.M scholarship did not just give me money for school, they gave me a chance to achieve my goals and really make a difference in the world. I will not take this award for granted and will pay it forward in whatever way I can in the future.”