Bakari Thompson
Future Neurosurgeon

Words alone cannot describe my gratitude for NEED and its efforts to help support my post-secondary education. I am so thankful for organizations like NEED that provide financial support systems for students who want to further their education. I am now pursuing my first step in reaching my greatest goal, and NEED is a part of the reason why I am able to do that. The generous scholarship will enable me to pursue my dream of becoming a surgeon. I really want to thank Mr. Pace and his team, dedicated and hard workers who are sincere and generous in their service. I really enjoy it here at Cal U. I joined the track team, made new friends, work hard in the classroom, take on the challenge of tough science courses, all while still learning the newly found life of being a young adult. I understand that it is not easy and that is challenging and that is what keeps me pushing. I could not have gotten the ball rolling without the help of NEED and so many others, and it is only right for me to thank you in return.

Sunni L. Solomon II
Assistant Director of Greek Life
Binghamton University

To say that NEED was a tremendous blessing is an understatement! The financial support was immensely helpful, but in addition to that – the personal support, words of encouragement, and check-in phone calls about paperwork or other issues really helped push me through. Your service is unique, and undeniably heartfelt. Since graduating from Cheyney I have worked for State Farm Insurance, Eastern Illinois University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and as of March 1, 2010 I am currently employed by Binghamton University (SUNY). I am currently completing my Master Thesis, which is the final requirement for my M.S. in College Student Affairs, and I plan on entering the Ed.D. program in educational leadership immediately following (my current union will pay for a majority of the tuition). My younger brother William is a proud Morehouse graduate, Class of ’05, and also a proud graduate of Pace University, Class of ’07 with a master degree in publishing. We are both proud members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and continue to do well.

Thank you for all of your help and encouragement! People don’t expect kids who come from our home situation to do much of anything, but knowing that someone believed in us and had our backs really went a long way! I can’t say thank you enough. Please let me know how I can assist your efforts in the future.

Jasmine M. Thompson
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you [NEED] for selecting me to participate in the NEED Adopt-A-Student Program.
This scholarshipwill help ease the financial burdens as I begin my fresman year at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Being raised in a less priviledged,prominently African-American community, I hope to work with at-risk youth to let them know they can also attend college and make a better life for themselves. My plans are to major in Criminology with a minor in Journalism. Once again, I offer my sincerest thanks for your continued generosity to the Westinghouse High School Commission of Recognition Scholarship.

Ashley Young

Hey,
Mr. Pace I wanted to tell you thank you for giving me the scholarship money for this semester for my housing need. I appreciate what NEED has done for me over my four years in college. It has eliminated my college tuition burden. I graduate this May and wanted to extend my help to NEED if needed. I have had a great 4 years at school and been on the deans list every semester and acheived all my goals. I will be applying to Pitts medical school this upcomming year. My career goal is to be a pediatric surgeon. I am very proud of myself because I completed college on time, while raising my daughter. She is 2 years old and lives with me in North Carolina. By NEED giving me scholarship money, I have been able to pay all my tutition and stay in school.

Thank You

Shiela DeBlanc

I am so grateful for your help with getting me to California University of Pennsylvania. With this scholarship, I am able to further my education and go after my dream of becoming a forensic investigator. I am excited to be able to share with you my gratitude and my appreciation with this scholarship. Without it, tuition alone would have overwhelmed me. I am eager to share with you that I am meeting beautiful people and that I have wonderful professors who are truly interested in my education.

I recently attended the Cal U organization fair where I learned about the various on-campus clubs and groups that I am able to become associated with. Joining some of these groups will enable me to build another family and help make Cal U my home away from home. Community service and athletic training are all associated with these organizations and by taking full advantage of these different programs, I will be able to gain experience and skills that can benefit me in the long run. You made this possible and my gratitude for this scholarship is bottomless.

Zakera Barnes

I am writing to sincerely thank the NEED organization for the generous Achiever Scholarship that I received for the 2009-2010 academic school year. I see the results of your support every day while I am attending classes at Florida Southern College. My experience at this college has been everything I have ever dreamed of and more.

Every day, I am encountering new opportunities to get involved. For example, I was recently chosen to represent the college as a Florida Southern Ambassador. This will give me the chance to give tours and house prospective students, giving them the same warm welcome that I received must a few months ago. My picture will also be featured in the college’s brochures and handouts. It is amazing that within only a few weeks, so many outstanding opportunities have come my way. I deeply appreciate your support in making my college dreams become a reality.

Nandi D. Nelson
The Pennslyvania State University

I would like you to know that your support is greatly appreciated. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to continue my education. Your contribution has helped ease the financial stress on my family. With that, I can continue to strive and obtain a degree in human development and family studies as well as set an example for my younger niece and nephews, showing them that college is possible for everyone.

Your support through the NEED organization had made it possible for me to attend Princeton University, and I thank you for doing nothing less than changing my life. Here, I receive an unparalleled education and actively participate in the campus activities. In short, I love Princeton and feel I can flourish here. The educational and extracurricular resources available to me are numerous, and in my reach because of NEED. Thank you for your contribution to my education, and I hope one day to help another student like myself make his or her schooling possible.

I am the parent of one of the earliest Richard K. Mellon scholars, Joel B. Kemp, who graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. He matriculated to Harvard College, graduated magna cum laude with a double concentration in History and Religion, and went on to Harvard Law School. Joel received his J.D. and has been working in the corporate division of the law firm, Hale and Door, LLP in Boston. I would like to thank NEED for playing a key role in helping Joel achieve his educational goals.

I am most fortunate for the support I recieved from NEED. Without it, my educational pursuit could have been disrupted. With NEED's help, I was able to continue and complete my degree program.

I want to personally thank Mr. Bryant for becoming a sponsor for the NEED program. As my sponsor, you have helped me to continue my education at Washington and Jefferson College. This contribution is very helpful to me as a student because I am going into the medical field. I plan to make these four years of college benefit my education in my chosen field. I chose Washington and Jefferson because it is a small liberal arts college with a variety of other elective courses in which to take. Medical schools do encourage students to take elective courses along with their major courses; therefore, a liberal arts college such as Washington and Jefferson will provide that for me. I will be able to discover other subjects of interest that will help me when I apply for medical school in the future. I want to thank you again for becoming my sponsor and for being associated with NEED.

I want to let you know much I appreciate the $1,000 NEED scholarship I received. The support that you and others have given, lets me know that my education is not only important to me, but to my community as well. This encouragement will help me to strive that much harder to succeed. Thanks again for the moral and financial support.

The financial aid I received from NEED was a part toward my educational experience in college. While it may have not been a significant amount, it did contribute to my overall financial aid package, and as my college experience continued, it was able to provide me not only financial stability, but allowed me to purchase books and supplies that were necessary for my classes as well.