May 15-21, 2019 • michiganchronicle.com • Page B-3
Michigan Chronicle
C
ongratulations 2019 Finalists
Zariah Bridges
Gregory Miller II
Dorian Smalley
Renaissance High School
Cass Technical High School
Renaissance High School
Quote: “You can’t take the elevator to success, you have to take the stairs” Unknown Author
Zaria Pope
Statement: My name is Dorian Smalley, an ambitious student interested in the field of computational mathematics and applicative sciences. I enjoy swimming, socializing with friends, playing chess, going to the movies, and traveling. In college, I plan to study abroad in France to emerge myself in the French culture and become bilingual. My goals are to become a successful computer engineer and to be the second African-American chess grandmaster in the world.
Cass Technical High School
Maya Solomon
Quote: “The question isn’t who is going to let me; It’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand Statement: A creative, talented, innovative changemaker dedicated to improving the lives of others and my community. My passion lies in leadership and setting objectives for any task at hand. I hope to be able to apply my skills to the world of business.
Cameron Collins Detroit Country Day
Quote: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” - Soren Kierkegaard Statement: I am very thankful to receive this scholarship. I have worked very hard in high school and the money from this scholarship will help me continue my education. I will be attending Penn State University, majoring in computer science. One of my most important achievements during high school was establishing a Black Student Alliance (BSA) at my school. BSA members strive to be conduits for change and to help create a more inclusive environment that enables students of color to excel. I hope to continue this work in college in addition to my technology pursuits.
Statement: I am completely honored to receive this award; and I am so happy knowing that my grandmother is sitting, proud of me, for all of my accomplishments and her hard work.
Quote: “The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.” - Will Smith Statement: Ever since I was little, I have had a deep desire to help others. My parents instilled in me to help people any way possible and I took it and ran with it. I would like to go to college to further my education and get a better understanding in the business field. I’ve had a passion for business for the longest and I’ve gained a better liking for it during my course of high school. My passion will make me a leader for future generations so they can help the community just like me.
Mackenzie Cook Cousino High School Quote: “Just Remember: The people that say, ‘your dreams are impossible,’ have already quit on theirs.” – Grant Cardone Statement: Dear Michigan Chronicle and Chemical Bank, I am truly honored and proud to be a recipient of the S.W.A.G. Scholarship. I am forever grateful to The Michigan Chronicle and Chemical Bank for your generosity. Thank you for lightening my financial burden which allows me to focus on my education, an inspires me to continue giving back to my community.
Destiny Harris
Southfield High School for the Arts & Technology Quote: She believed she could, so she did”- R.S Grey Statement: Thank you so much Michigan Chronicle for this blessing! I am grateful for your generosity and I am looking forward to using this scholarship to further my education at Tarrant County College to get an Associate of Arts.
Terrell P. McDowell River Rouge High School
Quote: “The highest human act is to inspire” – Nipsey Hussle. Statement: My name is Terrell Pierre McDowell and I am a senior at River Rouge High School. I will attend Baldwin Wallace University, located in Berea Ohio - right outside of Cleveland. I will major in Computer Information Systems and I will play Football. My goals include learning everything there is to learn in about technology and sharing it with others. There is a technological revolution amongst us, and I feel that the people in my community are not aware of the many opportunities that exist in the world of IT (information technology). I would like to start a non-profit organization that will put Digital Learning Centers in school districts where the field is less likely to be pursued. My goal is to motivate people to get involved with technology beyond social media. I want to inspire people to dream beyond what they see every day. Thank you to The Michigan Chronicle and Chemical Bank for helping to remove the financial barriers that prevent kids like me from pursuing their dreams.
Austin Raymond University of Detroit Jesuit High School
Statement: As a graduate of an outstanding Jesuit institution, I strive to be “A Man for Others in Pursuit of Social Justice and Human Rights”. I was selected as one of the three justices on the Student Senate Judiciary. I serve as the Treasurer for Diversity Union and helped to spearhead the first ever national Diversity Conference amongst U.S. Jesuit high schools. I am a page editor and writer for the CubNews, creating my own column highlighting service work students provide outside of school. I plan to espouse my passion for mathematics by pursuing Actuarial Science at Towson University Honors College.
Dustin Sims
University High School Academy Quote: Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. -Kevin Durant Statement: I am so proud to be a S.W.A.G. Scholarship Finalist! I would like to thank my parents for shaping me into an individual who is concerned not only about my own achievement, but for taking an active role in helping others do so as well. Being recognized by Michigan Chronicle is a huge honor for me and my family, whose roots are in the heart of Detroit.
Taylor Vasser Detroit Edison Public School Academy Early College Excellence Quote: “Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning. – Denzel Washington Statement: This scholarship will help me get one step closer to my goal to go to Michigan State University to study to become a Surgical Nurse.
Cass Technical High School Quote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” -Martin Luther King Jr. Statement: My name is Maya Solomon and I am a senior at Cass Technical High school, a place I have called my home for the last four years. I have a younger sister and many friends that have supported me throughout this journey. Leading both the March for Our Lives Detroit rally downtown and the Cass Tech Gun Violence Walk Out gave me experience as a leader and representative of not just myself but my school and my family. I plan to seek a career as a civil rights attorney so that I can advocate for those left out of the system.
Mone’t Stewart Chippewa Valley High School Quote: “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou Statement: Receiving the Michigan Chronicle S.W.A.G. Scholarship means so much to me. It allows me to be one step closer financially to attending my dream school, Spelman College. This scholarship also reassures me that my hard work throughout my high school career truly paid off. Even though everything I did such as volunteering frequently, and becoming my school’s First Black Female Student Government President were completed without search for praise, it feels beyond great to know that there are people like the Michigan Chronicle staff who recognize my strong dedication to the community and work ethic in everything I do.