Testimonials & Stories

The following are selected testimonials & stories from our scholarship programs. Click here to read stories from our annual HBCU Tour.

D. Carrington Motley

NEED Achiever Scholarship Awardee, 2012

Carrington’s international travel and experiences have given him a worldwide perspective to his education and career aspirations. He has visited multiple countries and has spent several summers in France as well as an entire semester studying abroad in Switzerland. Carrington has an impressive 3.99 GPA at Sewickley Academy and an excellent SAT score of 1500. Carrington credits his experience in a coaching role for his school’s summer basketball camp as something that has taught him valuable leadership skills as well as how to challenge people and understand their own skills and abilities. In addition to coaching basketball, Carrington is a star player on Sewickley’s Varsity basketball team. He also is a member of the Varsity track team, and currently holds the school’s record in the long jump. In addition to his school athletics, Carrington also holds a black belt in Karate.

Fluent in both Spanish and French, Carrington also plays classical and jazz flute. Carrington is a volunteer and instructor for several non-profit organizations including Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, Jack & Jill of America, Inner City Junior Tennis, PA Shotokan Karate Club and more. He has been accepted at Harvard, Stanford and MIT , will major in mechanical engineering, and plans on becoming a successful entrepreneur and making a difference in the lives of many people. 

***CORRECTION: We at NEED greatly apologize for the misrepresentation of Carrington’s information both verbally and in the program book at the NEED Dinner on March 14th, 2012.***

Zonia Moore

NEED Achiever Scholarship Awardee, 2012

Zonia’s determination, will and opportunity to attend college will fulfill not only her goals but her father’s dreams as well. Zonia attends Vincentian High School and has a 5.23 GPA. Her outstanding SAT score of 1500 also reflects her strong academic capabilities. She is the captain of the softball team, former captain and two time MVP of the tennis team, class president and a member of the National Honor Society. In addition to her hard work academically and her various extracurricular activities, Zonia also finds the time to volunteer at several non-profit and healthcare organizations. She has donated her time to Verland Home for the Disabled, Light of Life Rescue Mission, Allegheny General Hospital, and Tree-vitalization. 

Zonia has many interests, including Spanish, photography, psychology, film studies and literature. Zonia’s interest of study is the medical field as she has the desire to join Doctors Without Borders and an ultimate goal of becoming a heart surgeon. In middle school, she and her classmate won the National Gold Medal for the Science Olympiad, despite a journey that was riddled with setbacks. Zonia also has a great talent for writing, and has had several of her poems published. She is also in the process of writing a book that she hopes to have published sometime in 2012. 

***CORRECTION: We at NEED greatly apologize for the misrepresentation of Zonia’s information both verbally and in the program book at the NEED Dinner on March 14th, 2012.***

Armani Davis

Higher education is a gateway to the world and a rewarding career. In the future, my plans include working with people, the economy, and elements of marketing. College has not been an option for individuals, rather a necessity to be a candidate for competitive employment. Throughout my life, I have witnessed my family limit their educational opportunities, which resulted in negative outcomes with job placement, personal growth, and a rewarding future. As the second member of my family to graduate high school, and the first member to attend college, I would like to change the inherited trend within my family history and accomplish my personal and career goals.

"In spite of" are the three words that apply to my life. This year I found myself with limited parental supervision and encouragement. Currently, I live alone above a bar, provide myself with basic needs, and mentally encourage myself to strive for more out of life. In spite of my situation, I have demanded to go beyond what is expected of me by society. This misfortune has increased my ambition to graduate high school and attend a four-year college.

Outside of my experiences with personal leadership aiding in my well-being, I feel a great amount of satisfaction with my leadership on the football field. My senior year I was named captain, which required me to lead drills, mentor young players, and provide a positive behavioral example. During stressful game situations the coaches, players, and fans look to me to make thoughtful and experienced decisions on the field. In addition to my success on the football field, I risked my reputation and was cast as the lead in the high school musical. The football experience and the high school musical are successful examples to myself that I will make it!

La-Aja Janeane Wiggins

I wanted to thank you both and the NEED Scholarship Program for blessing me with the Need Leadership Scholarship. Because of your help, the path my life has taken has been amazing! I graduated magna cum laude from Clarion University with a bachelor's degree in Communications. Afterwards I moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in the television industry and within 3 years I've been able to attain more success than I thought a little girl from Pittsburgh's Hill District could achieve. You may recognize some of the shows I've worked on, which include American Idol, America's Got Talent, the 2008 Winter Olympics, and right now I'm working on The Talk, new daytime talk show on CBS.

Again, I am so grateful for all of the help God's given me through organizations such as NEED and I am committed to volunteering myself to help other young people as I was helped. Although I live in Los Angeles, I fly back to Pittsburgh during my hiatuses to volunteer.

Martell Covington

If it wasn't for NEED, I may not have been able to pay for the remainder of my schooling. From the bottom of my heart, I greatly and truly appreciate the assistance that you were able to offer me. I was finally able to complete my education at Howard University and receive my Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality Management from Howard University with some big help from NEED. Thank You so very much. If there is ever anything that I can do, please don't hesitate to let me know. I will do my best to oblige.

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