Every year, billions of dollars are allocated towards the higher education of American adolescents. Companies—in pursuit of elevating their ethical platforms—create programs and scholarships to fund the expenses of college tuition. Scholarships are a universal and generally fair method of helping students reach places they could not have reached otherwise. 

January was a long-awaited month for seniors; deadlines began approaching and the only thing left to do is wait. This notion, however, is incorrect. January, the month when most colleges stop receiving applications, is also the month in which many large scholarships begin accepting applications.  

For many students, college is a ticket out of a bad situation and into a brighter future. The large expenses of attending a university are insurmountable and often debilitating in the development of people’s careers. At Denmark, the importance of scholarships is stressed and defined as a fundamental step on the journey into adulthood. Georgia has excellent opportunities for in-state undergraduate students to receive financial aid, including HOPE and Zell Miller. Because of these scholarships, many students are able to attend top Georgia schools without the threat of piling debt. 

Keeping students informed about scholarship opportunities provided not only by the state, but also by private companies and the federal government has been imperative in the accomplishments of Denmark students in funding their higher education. Denmark Senior Kushmin Weliwita, for example, was a recipient of a Posse Foundation award. 

Kushmin—along with 1,300 metro Atlanta students—was nominated and interviewed to determine her eligibility for receiving a four-year scholarship. The foundation works with an esteemed list of schools as well as donors such as Bank of America to fund the education of future leaders and “diversify [students’] experiences,” as Kushmin explains.

 “The whole point of the scholarship is to have people by your side to support you through college…basically giving students a support system,” Kushmin says. Though Kushmin is extremely grateful for the financial aid Posse provies, she finds the most rewarding part of the experience to be gaining a group of people that will support her through college. “Normally, you go to college and you just… don’t know anyone!” she says.

Though well-deserving students are able to receive the help they need in order to have a more fulfilling education, many of them are left without any aid at all. From the beginning of schooling, when the minds of elementary children are being shaped, students are told to pave their own path, to follow their dreams and achieve independence. What isn’t stressed, however, are the obstacles and blockades that obstruct the path to achieving one’s goal. It seems that for every door that opens, ten more are locked shut. Frustrations bloom and often, talented people are left without access to a university to give them a sense of direction, but scholarships can be a guiding light for students who feel that their every opportunity is out of reach. 

On the other hand, scholarships like the one Kushmin received can not only provide financial support, but also enriching experiences that connect students who may come from different backgrounds, but are chasing the same dream.