At SchoolHouse Connection, one of our guiding principles is that young people are the experts on their experiences, needs, and strengths. We also recognize that students experiencing homelessness often face barriers in accessing higher education. Our Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program is a competitive national scholarship program that provides 10 scholarships each year to students who have experienced homelessness, to ensure their access to and completion of a post-secondary education program. Through this program, students are provided with a $2,000 scholarship; assistance in accessing resources such as financial aid, mental health, and legal advocacy; a strong, stable peer and adult support network; and opportunities to engage in meaningful advocacy. Our overall goal for the Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program is to provide sustained support to see students to and through college and into the workforce.

It is our pleasure to announce SchoolHouse Connection’s 2022 scholar class:

• Narcizo, OR
• Melody, GA
• Daniela, TX
• Jessica, MO
• Juan, CA
• Maya, HI
• Alan, NC
• Briley, GA
• Lilly, MO
• Conrad, LA
• Dariel, FL

Meet SHC’s 2022 Scholars

Name: Narcizo
State: Oregon
Anticipated Major: Safety

“This scholarship has given me the chance to improve as a student and given me the support I am going to need to finish college. In doing so I would like to thank SHC for this amazing opportunity and look to the future with you amazing people.” 

Name: Melody
State: Georgia
Anticipated Major: Sociology

“This scholarship has given me the hope that I needed. It has made me realize that I have gone through something in my life to share. I feel secure in my education thanks to this scholarship and it has given confidence to help with college coming up right around the corner. SHC is helping me strive and helping me with my college years so I can be successful and have the future that I have always hoped and dreamt of. SHC has made me feel that my wanting to be a social worker was meant to be, so I can be the help and guide to other children’s life whenever they feel down.”

Name: Daniela
State: Texas
Anticipated Major: Nursing

“Receiving this scholarship means that all of my sacrifices, hard work, and hardships have paid off. This scholarship means that new beginnings and doors are opening for me and they give me faith in what the future brings for my education and success as I enter college to pursue nursing. Through the support of SHC I am positive that all my goals will come true. Receiving this scholarship tells me that my voice has been heard and there are people rooting for me. This has inspired me to pass down the opportunities I have been given by making the world a better place.”

Name: Jessica
State: Missouri
Anticipated Major: Undecided, Considering Education

“This scholarship is helping me to feel that college is more achievable for myself. It is also providing me with a new support group to help me make my way into and through college. I am very excited to be a part of this group and look forward to getting to know everyone.”

Name: Juan
State: California
Anticipated Major: Psychology

“This scholarship is a reinforcement of my hard work and my resilience that I put in on everything I do. It allows me to focus on what is important and to know that the cohort and the amazing group of students who are part of SHC support me in my endeavors. This scholarship ultimately means that I am walking the correct path towards the life I’ve always dreamt of.”

Name: Maya
State: Hawaii
Anticipated Major: Double Major in Music Industry Studies and an Environmental Field

“This scholarship means getting the opportunity to expand my knowledge and getting the support to attend college and accomplish my goals. I’m so excited for college and all it has to offer, and the SHC scholarship support means so much to me. Coming from very little, hoping for the best, it’s nice to know and witness that hard work really does pay off. I’m very grateful for this scholarship and the support it’s given me.”

Name: Alan
State: North Carolina
Anticipated Major: Public Health

“The Schoolhouse Connection Scholarship has given me a chance to meet my goals. Receiving the funding part of the award is extremely valuable to me and my college expenses. However, having a one to one support person is the most surprising part of this award. I feel such relief and a deep sense of security that I have rarely ever felt. I am looking forward to possibilities that could come true with this new found support system. I am headed into college with more enthusiasm and less fear. In addition, I am astonished to receive the travel opportunities you have made available to me. I never dreamed of visiting Universal Studios, a trip like that is something that I could never have imagined. I would like to say a huge thank you for this generous scholarship. This scholarship seems to be exactly what I need to help me get a solid foundation to build my future.”

Name: Briley
State: Georgia
Anticipated Major: Psychology

“When I applied for this scholarship I had little hope, truthfully I wasn’t sure my feelings were valid. At the time I still felt alone in the world. The day I learned I earned this scholarship my opinions of myself made a change for the better. I inherited a new found confidence. I strive to do my best at all times whether that be in my workplace, my school, or at my home. I know now that my past doesn’t define me but the way I carry my experiences do. I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been given from gaining this scholarship.”

Name: Lilly
State: Missouri
Anticipated Major: Biology and Psychology on the Pre-Medical Track

Receiving this scholarship means more than I can describe. The scholarship alone has given me the opportunity to further my education with the tools I need to succeed. More importantly, it has provided me with a community that genuinely wants to see me further my education and even surpass my own goals and expectations. I have been given the platform to speak to other individuals who have similar backgrounds, and I now feel that I am never alone. I know that those with SHC will always be there for me, and I am confident I will be able to graduate and build the life I have always envisioned with this team rallying behind me. It is a level of support and encouragement I’ve always dreamed of.

Name: Conrad
State: Louisiana
Anticipated Major: Architecture

This scholarship is one of many factors that are allowing me to pursue higher education, which has been a dream of mine through all the struggles in my lifetime. Since day one SHC has been extremely welcoming and supportive. No matter what issues the future may hold, I feel as though I have mentors and friends to guide me in a positive direction.

Name: Dariel
State: Florida
Anticipated Major: Political Science

The scholarship allowed me to focus on completing the end of my Senior year without stressing about the accessories that come to education, like finding a new laptop that I can use after I turn in my school-issued one. Additionally, it has given me the opportunity to connect with others from similar backgrounds of me from across the country.