Recipient - Laurel, Maryland
Kendra Lee enjoys her work as a pharmacy technician at a local Howard County pharmacy. She always takes the extra time to help her patients, many of whom are elderly, by answering their questions and allaying their concerns. She just wishes that the hours the job demands could be different so she could spend more time with her nine-year-old daughter, Ariana, since Kendra, as a single mom, is the sole provider for her. Kendra knows that a college degree will help her advance in a career field where she could still help others, but have a steady work schedule so she could be there more for her daughter. She researched University of Phoenix and was in contact with an enrollment counselor when her sister, Patria, tried to slow her down in the process. Kendra wondered why, since Patria had always been so supportive in the past. Then she discovered the motive behind Patria’s advice. Patria had nominated Kendra for the University’s Paying It Forward Scholarship which would provide her education at no cost. Kendra is excited about the opportunity to go back to school to earn her degree in human services management, eventually transitioning into a social services position where she can continue to give back to others in a more meaningful way.