Edgar Gatsinzi's Journey: GR to NYC

Edgar Gatsinzi’s Journey:

Scholarships from Grand Rapids Community Foundation help recipients go the distance.

While other children were learning their letter sounds, thanks to the guidance of his parents, Edgar Gatsinzi was an avid reader, devouring books by the time he entered kindergarten.

In fourth grade, Edgar was invited to enter a program for academically talented students at Kentwood Public Schools’ Discovery Elementary. The program provided a rigorous curriculum along with field trips and other enrichment activities. “Experiencing those things at such a young age inspired me to venture out for college,” Edgar said.

As he thought of college, Edgar recalls having his heart set on studying musical theatre as a middle schooler. He greatly admired Idina Menzel, a Broadway actress, singer and songwriter. Doing research, he learned that Menzel had attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. “I thought it would be so cool if I could go to NYU and live in New York City. As I grew up, though, I began to think maybe it wasn’t realistic to invest so much in a career where there were no guarantees,” he said.

During his time at East Kentwood High School, Edgar was active in choir, student council and National Honor Society. He volunteered in the community and enjoyed connecting with residents at American House Kentwood.

GOING FOR THE DREAM

When it came time to apply to college, Edgar planned to join his brother at Howard University, one of Washington D.C.’s historically black universities. An email from NYU with an application fee waiver caused him to reconsider.

“I applied on a whim. I had a fee waiver, but my Parchment (a school transcript service) told me that I only had a 33 percent chance of getting in,” Edgar said.

It’s a good thing he went for it, because soon after, he received an acceptance letter. His seventh-grade dream was coming true—he was moving to the Big Apple to attend NYU!

To make college more affordable, Edgar pursued scholarship opportunities. His counselor at East Kentwood, Marc Mitchell, connected him to Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Edgar submitted the Community Foundation’s general scholarship application and received awards from the Black Men Building Resources Scholarship Fund and the Harry and Lucille Brown Scholarship Fund.

“The scholarships are helping to alleviate the burden of loans,” Edgar said. “It means the world to know that there are people who believe in my education, my aspirations and my dreams. I’m grateful and appreciative of it all.”

REFLECTIONS FROM FRESHMAN YEAR

When asked about his college experience so far, Edgar says learning to manage money was a challenge. He was 17 when he started at NYU in the fall, which made finding a job difficult. During the spring semester, he became a server at Dave & Buster’s in Times Square, which helped a lot.

He’s also settling into a new environment. “When I thought of going to Howard University, I liked the idea of having a group of black friends. Here, I find myself being one of only a few faces who look like me in a classroom. It has been an adjustment coming from the diversity of East Kentwood,” Edgar said.

He’s most proud of the evolution of his writing skills. He joked, “I think I’ve written more papers in one year at NYU than I did during my entire time in high school.”

Edgar’s hard work is paying off. He just wrapped his first year with a 3.8 GPA, and he was elected NYU’s Student Council Class of 2022 Representative. He plans to declare a major of media, culture and communications and has his sights on a career in the entertainment industry.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

If you’re interested in helping students like Edgar go for their big dreams, let’s talk! Reach a member of our development team at 616.454.1751.