Perseverance Project

Harlem Brown

Harlem Brown

My name is Harlem Brown and I am a 19-year-old, first generation student at Old Dominion University. I am a sophomore majoring in marketing with a focus in analytics and research. I live alone off campus, as my immediate family lives thirteen hours away from me. Since starting my college career, I have worked a full-time job in addition to pursuing my course of study. I believe that maintaining both a strong work ethic and humble attitude, no matter what challenges and obstacles that may arise will always prove rewarding in the end. Without any question, this pandemic and the restrictions implemented or adjustments to the new "normal" have certainly tested my emotional and physical limitations as well as my integrity; but my faith and relentless attitude have motivated me to stay dedicated and persevere.

Bringing in the new year, I would have never dreamt of the reality that I am experiencing today. The year '2020' seemed so surreal and promising, I was determined to make the most of it. I promised myself that I would not neglect my mind and body like I had done the year prior, that I would invest more time in myself and not so much on material things. I made it a personal goal of mine to remain grounded and learn how to be better disciplined. However, in March, every promise that I made to myself seemed virtually unachievable, as I could not possibly remain grounded when I no longer had a foundation.

Like many other American's, during this pandemic I had lost my job, plummeted into debt, lost loved ones and some of my sanity, and my primary source of income was unemployment aid that eventually expired. I hoped to find another job before I had exhausted my unemployment benefits but seeing as how I was in competition with millions of other unemployed Americans, that proved to be extremely challenging. Along with the stress of finding a job was the stress of starting a new school year in an entirely different reality. I was overwhelmed, broke, and praying for a miracle so that I could focus on achieving the goals that I set before this Covid nightmare began to unfold.

In receiving the Perseverance Award, I was able to essentially get my life back on track. Having the funds directly at my disposal bought me more time to look for a job without the having the stress of knowing that soon my savings would be depleted. The lifted weight also made it easier to focus on my academic performance and maintain all A's in all of my classes. I enjoyed the time spent doing schoolwork and fell in love with learning again, I could not see myself starting another job that I hated just because it paid well. Seeing the number of students and parents that were struggling this school year made me realize the high demand for education assistance for every age group. I tried tutoring kids of different age groups to earn some money while job hunting. However, the newfound love that I had for teaching and helping others, moved me to expand what initially was my side hustle into a full-time job. Seeing how one kind gesture helped to turn my year around made me want others to experience that same feeling of relief and comfort.

While this year undoubtedly broke me in so many ways, it also gave me the chance to rebuild myself even better than I was before. I am now able to focus on and do well in school, have control of my own time and schedule, and have a job that I love and provides financial support. Without even realizing it, I stayed committed to and never lost sight of my goals, and despite losing so much, what I gained in the end proved to be so much more fulfilling.

Nuhu Issifu

Nuhu Issifu

I found the Strome Perseverance Project while visiting the website for course information, and I am glad I applied for it.

I was having difficulties in securing funding for my MBA program due to the pandemic and the impact it had on my finances. I also lost my hourly job so I started dipping into my savings. I realized there was no way I would be able to attend ODU in Fall.

The funds I have been awarded have helped me enroll in the program this fall, and I am able to look forward to the future with hope. I was not sure I would be able to enroll this semester until I received the great news. I was so happy and could not contain my excitement.

Everything changed suddenly, and I began making plans for this semester. I am currently enrolled in the Fall 2020 semester and am really enjoying my coursework even though the post pandemic learning environment is challenging me in new ways.

I hope to achieve my goal of graduating with an MBA degree from the Strome College of Business and making it in the business world so I can also give back to ODU and the Strome College of Business.

The importance of giving back is enormous especially during these extraordinary times where a lot of families are struggling to send their kids to school, and some students have to put on hold their education for the foreseeable future.

The generosity of the donors to the Strome College of Business are helping keep dreams alive and creating a bright future for the next generation of business and community leaders.

Prapti Sedhain

Prapti Sedhain

My dream is to establish a nonprofit with a mission to empower vulnerable and disadvantaged women. Coming from Nepal and being a woman myself, who is a part of a patriarchal society, I know how important it is to economically empower women. Only a society of empowered women and men can build an empowered nation. A nation cannot develop fully if only a part of the society is empowered, and the rest are not (especially women who come from a marginalized and disadvantaged communities).

Although I have worked in a nonprofit sector for more than 4 years, I wanted to understand more about the nitty gritty of establishing a nonprofit organization. Hence the reason why I decided to pursue my master's degree and am majoring in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Governance at Old Dominion University. This degree will be extremely helpful for my professional career and prepare me to pursue my dream project.

Empowering women and bringing change in a patriarchal society is going to be quite challenging for me, but I am ready to take on those challenges and determined to work in the public sector and serve women in need for the rest of my life. Regardless of the size of impact I will have personally, I want to be a ripple of change for deprived communities. If I can see transformation and empowerment for other women, my motive to give back to the society will be complete.

So far, I have completed two semesters, and I am two more semesters away (expected time of graduation May 2021) from getting my graduate degree. However, I had no income source to pay for my tuition for the upcoming academic year. I thought this was game over, and I would not be able to continue my studies. Fortunately, Strome College of Business Perseverance Project considered my application and awarded me with this life changing scholarship. With the amount that has been awarded to me, I will be able to pay my tuition and continue my education.

I am so grateful to the committee members because not only did they give me extra time to manage my current financial situation without having to drop out of the university, but they have given me an opportunity to pursue my dream to serve poor and vulnerable women.