Meet the scholars

Receiving the 2020 First-Year Generation Helios Foundation Scholarship has impacted me in many positive ways. It is helping me pay for college without the necessity to have a job, especially with Covid-19 going around. It is helping me to focus on my studies, in order to pursue my desired career.

This scholarship has helped me to finish my last semester in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at SCF. I was able to use the scholarship for books, travel expenses (going to clinical practice) and for equipment for my studies.

This scholarship has impacted my education in several ways. Thanks to the Helios Education Foundation Scholarship, I'm able to attend the University of Florida and pursue my career goal to become an elementary school teacher with an ESOL and Reading Endorsement. Thank you, Helios Education Foundation Scholarship, for investing in my education and believing in me.

The Helios Scholarship has been an immense blessing because it has helped me pay for my books as well as my classes. I am truly grateful to have been awarded this scholarship and that I have been provided the opportunity to get an education in order to be the best teacher I can be.

This scholarship has assisted me in pursuing my dreams of becoming a Registered Nurse. I am 30 years old and currently an LPN but struggle financially as I am trying to attend school and work at the same time. It has been quite a journey so far but I look forward to where I will be 5 years from now.

One of my biggest obstacles in finishing school has been that I have to work too much to make ends meet. Receiving this scholarship has helped me to apply my all in college and work as hard as possible to finish. The financial assistance allowed me to be able to focus more on school and less on work. I am extremely grateful to the Helios Education Foundation.

This monetary award has helped me pay for this semester and is an extreme financial relief.This scholarship has permitted me to work less hours at my current job which allows me to spend more time on my studies and maintain my high GPA. My career ambition is to be an elementary school teacher or to teach ESE students in a self-contained classroom

This scholarship will aid me to become an early educator as I rely on scholarships and FASFA to get my degree. My dream career has always been to become a teacher. Even as a child I would play school with my little brother and stuffed animals. Today I am honored to have been selected for this scholarship. As I volunteer in the class, my plan is to teach 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade.

This scholarship has impacted my education by allowing me to complete my degree by 2022. If I did not have the support of this scholarship, graduating from college would take me at least an additional year since I would have to save up money from my tutoring jobs to afford the cost of school and living.

Dad worked in the steel mills of East Chicago and Mom worked as a church secretary. Neither had college degrees. Both made sure every day that I was going to go to college when I graduated and get a degree in SOMETHING. The Helios First Generation Scholarship makes my educational dreams and goals a possibility.

This scholarship has given me the oppurtunity to continue and finish my major with FSCJ. This scholarship has helped me out financially do to the pandemic as a realtor my business has taken a hit. My goal is to complete the interior design program by summer of 2021 and receiving this scholarship will help me get there.

This scholarship has impacted my education by making it to where I am not stressed about where the money for my education is going to come from. It has helped me be able to pursue my dreams of being a teacher.

I am thankful for the Helios Education Foundation First-Generation Scholarship because it has helped relieve some of the financial burden of furthering my education. My ultimate goal is to help better this world for everyone in it, mainly through research, project management, supply chain improvements, and a focus on green initiatives.

This scholarship has helped me lessen the burden of some financial stress (especially with bus fare).With this scholarship I was able to have enough uber money and bus fare while being able to save up for a down payment for another car. From the bottom of my heart I thank you for giving me this scholarship. It has helped me out a lot.

The Helios Education Foundation First-Generation Scholarship has helped me with my college career by alleviating some of my tuition costs and allowing me to focus more on school rather than work.

Thank you Helios for the scholarship it helped me tremendously in school. As a Father and Husband and the primary provider for my family it can be difficult balancing work and school. I am very grateful for having been selected. Thank you

Thank to your general support, I feel that I am one step closer to achieving my goals, this award is very meaningful not only financially, but emotionally as well as it has strengthened my believe in myself. This award will serve as an inspiration in my current studies as well as in my future undertakings and it means a lot to me as it opens up many opportunities.

The Helios Education Foundation First-Generation Scholarship has impacted my education by allowing me the opportunity to be able to pursue and continue my education while lessening my financial stress as I attend University. I have been able to chase after my dream of going into a STEM field as a Computer Science major with a concentration in Software Engineering.

While my family and I struggle with our finances this scholarship will help in a tremendous way. The pressure that will elevate from me will help stay focus on what is really important. For my career, I want to work in the medical field to be a radiographic technologist then I aspire to run my own mobile business in that field helping my community the best way I can

It motivates me to keep going. It feels good to know I am acknowledged and that there are people who support my education decision. Going back to school was a struggle, from trying to find a babysitter, not being able to afford daycare, being the only working parent in the household to trying to manage work.

The Helios Education Foundation First-Generation Scholarship has impacted my life in a manner that I am eternally grateful for. This scholarship allows me to focus on receiving my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, and has allowed me to think ahead and create the next steps in my career

The time I have spent at Lake-Sumter State College is the most important part of my life. This experience has given me confidence to achieve something that I used to believe as impossible. LSSC is a multicultural institution, where students with varied cultural and professional backgrounds are valued and pampered.

This scholarship has impacted my education by relieving me of some financial stress . I am able to focus on my academics and provide myself with the necessities I need to be secure and successful.

This scholarship made the difference in me being able to continue my education without having to further burden myself with student loans or take on a third job. Since I was able to worry less about the financial aspect of my degree, I was able to focus more on my studies and have become a straight A student.