Former Greensboro Academy student and 2016 CollegeBound™ Scholarship winner Breanna Stump learned to excel in her studies at an early age and the benefits continue to show as she finishes her second year in college. The Western Carolina University (WCU) sophomore is a member of the school’s Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and in the Honors College Program.
“I went to Greensboro Academy from kindergarten to eighth grade,” Stump said. “I have so many great memories from those years. I had such fun times with friends and all my teachers were amazing.”
Stump thrived in a variety of activities at Greensboro like cross country, soccer, wind ensemble and National Junior Honor Society.
“The environment for me in eighth grade was great,” Stump said. “I would say that was my best year. I had the best support from my teachers and that is what helped me succeed academically.”
Stump is majoring in social work while carrying a double minor in criminal justice and psychology at WCU. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2024 then earn her master's degree in social work.
She still remembers the day she found out about winning the scholarship.
“I remember it so clearly. We had our assembly and then the principal was reading my paper saying I won. It was such a surreal moment and one I will never forget.
“If I had all my eighth-grade teachers in front of me I would just thank them for all they did to help me get where I am now,” Stump said. “They pushed me academically to make me better.”
Scholarship helped South Arbor winner pay first year of school
Another NHA CollegeBound™ Scholarship winner, Sofia Peppard, attended South Arbor Charter Academy and is finishing up her second year at Washtenaw Community College. She plays on the school’s club volleyball team and works part-time as a volleyball coach and caregiver.
Peppard is studying to become a physician’s assistant and plans to transfer to Michigan State University, University of Michigan, or Eastern Michigan University in the fall.
“I have been playing volleyball since the fifth grade when I attended South Arbor, so I love that I have the opportunity to play in college and to coach elementary kids,” Peppard said. “Working as a caregiver gives me the opportunity to prepare for the medical field, and I enjoy learning from the experience I receive.”
Peppard said she has fond memories of her years at South Arbor and keeps in touch with many friends from her time there.
“I really enjoyed the teachers, the plays, being in the band and the people I went to school with,” she said. “Eighth grade was so much fun and bittersweet because it was my last year of middle school with friends I had met back in elementary school.”
Winning the scholarship was a bit shocking, but she knew, even at that age, it was a special moment for her future.
“I knew it would be super helpful as I prepared for my college years, but now as a college student, I am so grateful I won,” she said. “It paid for my first year of school as well as my books and a laptop. College costs are high, and every little bit helps.”
Greensboro Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Greensboro, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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