PROSPER Scholarship Graduate pursues BA at USM
“With the full scholarship I was able to go to SMCC and study, so many times I had the idea of giving up because I was under so many pressure, working two jobs in one semester one as a team leader and the other as a supervisor and taking care of my family was too much responsibility for just one person, but as a very resilient person that I am I made it through and made the impossible come true, I graduated from SMCC with an Associate degree in Business Administration. As a result, this helped me transition from a team leader to a Training Coordinator at Abbott Laboratories.”
- Narciso, 2022 PROSPER Scholarship program Graduate
Narciso is continuing his studies towards his BA at USM. He then plans to continue on to get his MBA. And he has some advice for his fellow immigrants:
“…never give up, knowing that there is always a starting point which is difficult but if you set up goals and keep focused there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel, be strong, be courageous, there are always resources that you can use just like Prosperity Maine in order for you to make your dream come true.”
In its fifth year, the PROSPER Scholarship program has served 36 asylum-seeking students to date. We are currently reviewing applications and will announce the 2023-2024 award winners at the end of the month.
The two-year scholarship helps asylum-seeking students gain access to a program certificate or two-year community college degree. Asylum-seekers are ineligible for FASFA the nation’s leading source of financial aid for college-bound students.
The PROSPER Scholarship program is helping build Maine’s workforce and strengthen its communities one degree at a time. Please help support the PROSPER Scholarship program through your volunteer time as a student mentor or a monetary contribution to the $50K in 50 Days Challenge.