Sallie Mae Awards $400,000 in Scholarships to Support Access to Higher Education

The Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors Provides $10,000 to Students from Under-resourced and Underrepresented Communities

In celebration of National Scholarship Month, Sallie Mae today announced the newest recipients of its Bridging the Dream Scholarship. This year, 40 outstanding high school students from across the country, who excelled both inside and outside the classroom—and demonstrated financial need—were awarded a $10,000 scholarship from The Sallie Mae Fund, in partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Thirty of this year’s recipients are attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“Our ongoing partnership with The Sallie Mae Fund allows us to reach even more students who once thought higher education was beyond their reach,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO, Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “The Bridging the Dream Scholarship reflects our shared commitment to creating more affordable pathways to higher education.”

“Access to higher education can be life-changing, especially for those from underserved communities,” said Nic Jafarieh, executive vice president, Sallie Mae. “Every scholarship granted is another step closer to ensuring every student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to better themselves through education."

This year’s Bridging the Dream Scholarship recipients are:

• Alijah Dean, Tennessee Tech University
• Charity DeBrew, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Ashlie Kearns, East Carolina University
• Yakouba Keita, Jr., Morehouse College
• Kennedi Leary, Florida A&M University
• Jayden Locklear, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Otis Lofton, Howard University
• Bryson Long, University of Tennessee at Martin
• Rianna Mafnas, Southern University and A&M College
• Matthew Major, Spelman College
• Kaandis Mance, University of Miami
• Malani Martin, Winston-Salem State University
• Jada McClide, Clayton State University
• Kennedy McCormick, North Carolina A&T State University
• David McGowan, Kean University
• Ihuoma Mgbahurike, Howard University
• Devin Miller, Prairie View A&M University
• Margaret Mirembe, Winston-Salem State University
• Imani Monday, Howard University
• Aeneas Moore, Howard University
• Chris Moore III, Howard University
• Amaya Morene, Howard University
• Victoria Pettway, Tuskegee University
• Xochitl Poindexter, Hampton University
• Teyana Porter, Florida A&M University
• Mayah Prelow, Grambling State University
• Aniyah Prescod, Hampton University
• RanDaijah Price, Howard University
• Amos Prince, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Ryhmin Rawls, Morehouse College
• Mira Reynolds, North Carolina A&T University
• Lillian Richards Smith, Spelman College
• David Riley, Morehouse College
• Journi Robinson, Spelman College
• Heaven Rowell, Howard University
• Mayte Segura, Vassar College
• Kenneth Stevenson, Morehouse College
• Iyanna Whipple, Howard University
• Darius Williams, Morehouse College
• Mikalah Williams, Spelman College

“Receiving the Bridging the Dream Scholarship amplifies my motivation to give back to my community,” said scholarship recipient David Riley. “This scholarship fuels my commitment to becoming a leader who not only excels in their field, but also creates opportunities for others to thrive.”

Since 2021, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded nearly $4 million in scholarships to students from under-resourced and underrepresented communities, helping them access and complete college. In addition, Sallie Mae offers free tools and resources to help students and families confidently navigate to, through, and immediately after higher education. Scholarship Search by Sallie helps students find and easily sort through hundreds of scholarships—no registration required. The company also provides resources to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and find scholarships online for both undergraduate and graduate students.

For more information on the Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program, visit www.salliemae.com/BTD.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) believes education and life-long learning, in all forms, help people achieve great things. As the leader in private student lending, we provide financing and know-how to support access to college and offer products and resources to help customers make new goals and experiences, beyond college, happen. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Category: Community and Philanthropy

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Caron Jackson 302.304.3041 [e-mail]