Ayana Gray and Erika Guy would like to thank the Black Alumni Society for awarding them scholarships for the 2011-2012 school year. Gray and Guy both received the BAS Challenge Scholarship.

 

Dear Black Alumni Society,

I am writing to express my most sincere appreciation for the BAS Challenge Scholarship.  I was so excited to learn that I was chosen to receive the BAS Challenge Scholarship this year; it is such an honor! This scholarship will be very helpful to me continuing my education and helping me to achieve my dreams. 

I am currently majoring in biology with hopes of becoming an optometrist.  The financial assistance you all have provided me with will be of great help to me in paying my educational expenses, which will allow me to concentrate more on studying and passing classes.

Thank you again for your generosity and support.  I promise you I will work very hard, and I hope one day to help others achieve their goals just like you have helped me.

Sincerely,

Erika Guy

 

Dear Alumni,

One year ago, I was a senior in high school facing the typical fears and trepidations. As college and scholarship applications inundated me, I worried alongside my peers about finding the “right” school for me to spend the next four years of my life, to define the next four years of my life. Then, matters worsened as my parents went through job crises with the rise and fall of the national economy, and the challenges increased. Suddenly, college went from a nearing excitement to a looming dread as I wondered how I would pay for my tuition without putting further financial stress on my family.

I received a phone call from Vice Provost of Diversity Dr. Charles Robinson in the latter part of my senior year. He carried a simple message: “Ayana, the University of Arkansas is a great school, and we want you here.” My decision was instantly made, for Dr. Robinson’s words rang true, even months later. Coming from a very small, private school, I feared becoming an anonymous figure, and yet, here at the U of A, I’ve never felt lost among the masses. Rather I feel, even as a new freshman this year, that not only am I an individual on campus that matters, I feel that I am valued

The opportunity to attend the University of Arkansas would not have been possible without your donation to my Black Alumni Scholarship; for that I thank you, wholeheartedly. I hope you and your families have an enjoyable Autumn.

Best Wishes,

Lillian Ayana Gray ‘15
2011-2012 BAS Scholar
Freshman