School: Florida State University
House: BPW
Year: Spring 2015-Present
My entire family who had pursued a college career did so at FSU and I wanted to carry on the legacy- there has been a brick at the Wescott fountain reserved for me since I was born. When I began to play music, it was with the dream of being a Florida State University Marching Chief. When my father lost his job, I was in middle school, those dreams began to fray at the edges. In high school, I worked extremely hard to maintain good grades as well as to be an athlete and be a part of the Marching and Concert band. By my senior year, I realized that all of these things were fantastic on paper, but were not the things that would give me the full ride that I would need for college.
My senior year of school I gave up my sports and started working with the local Boys and Girls Club. I didn’t know that I would fall in love with sixty children at the time that I applied, but sure enough, I was hooked. My job not only gave me a passion for education, but with this income I was able to pay for my college applications. I applied everywhere and after work I would go home to apply for scholarships and other financial aid, sometimes falling asleep at my desk. I was constantly tired from the process, but I knew that I wanted to go to school. I wanted to be a Seminole. After numerous applications and many acceptances, I was not accepted to Florida State. I felt like my work in high school and all of my dreams were for nothing. I felt like I would never leave my small two-red-light town. I would never march with the Marching Chiefs.
Even though I was filled with doubt, after praying for guidance over and over, I kept applying. I was accepted to Tallahassee Community College.
I was curious as to why I was denied from FSU and placed phone call after phone call. After many phone calls and emails, I discovered a miscommunication that originally barred me from my dream school. Once this mistake was cleared, I was accepted to the Florida State University for Spring of 2015. I was ecstatic- but my heart sank. I was poor. I was not in poverty, but I was too poor for Florida State and for Tallahassee. I kept applying. I received a number of scholarships from my high school and from the government such as Bright Futures and the Pell Grant. When I prepared to go to TCC, I did not know that I could apply to SSF, and spent all of my scholarship money on a dorm off-campus called Southgate for fall 2015. I had no money for the rest of the semester for food or gas or anything other than that giant, up-front bill. It was an awful first semester of college and I thought about quitting and going home. I prayed and prayed and applied to SSF.
Miraculously, I met Miss Barby Moro, and I knew there was hope for people like me.
She was kind and caring, and I was accepted to live in the BPW House of SSF. Since moving in to BPW I have made life-long connections. I have made friends and have been given a place to thrive and truly discover who I am and seek God’s purpose for me. In August 2015, I applied to be a Florida State University Marching Chief. After two weeks of training and auditions, I was initiated into the Roamin’ Bones section of Chiefs along with another SSFer, Nora Osorio. Nora and I both have agreed that without SSF we would not be able to afford to march if we had a tremendous electric bill or grocery bill. Chiefs is a tremendous part of my life and my ideal college experience.
I have made lifelong friends like Nora and will be a Chief for all time. #MCATDT.
The Southern Scholarship foundation is more than just housing. For me, it has been the light at the end of the tunnel and a cloud to tie my dreams to. I would not be in college if not for the Southern Scholarship Foundation.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for you to be a part of Madelyn’s, and many others, Education for Life journey.
Learn more here: http://bit.ly/SponsorSSF
