It was the fall of 2020, and in the middle of the pandemic, Dayton Early College Academy high school senior Eternydee Sims was faced with a challenge. She wanted to continue her education next year and attend college but wasn’t sure her family had the financial means to make her dream a reality.
As luck would have it, her principal introduced her to the Kids & Community Scholarship opportunity and encouraged her to apply.
“I just wanted to lift the barrier off my mother’s shoulders,” Eternydee said. “So when I do go to college, she won’t have to worry about me, and I won’t have to worry about carrying the weight.”
Eternydee takes care of three younger siblings and has been the rock for her family. Shortly after applying for the scholarship, Eternydee and her family faced another incredibly difficult time, losing her father to COVID-19. This Dayton student decided she would push forward and set a positive example for her younger siblings, knowing that’s what her dad would want her to do.
“It’s just motivation when I wake up in the morning…I have him in my ear and my heart telling me to keep pushing. No matter what, despite COVID and despite financial barriers, that we can do this. Anybody has a shot. You just have to really take that first leap of faith.”
Her grit and determination paid off.
WATCH: Kids & Community Scholarship Winner shares her story
Eternydee was one of six Kids & Community scholarship winners this year out of 593 applicants. All In, the scholarship panel awarded $30,000 to high school seniors, helping disadvantaged kids access higher education opportunities.
And it’s all made possible thanks to the work our associates do every day. A portion of proceeds from every property sale (starting with Fund XVI) fuels our non-profit, Kids & Community Partners. Over the next decade, we anticipate investing more than $400 million in non-profit endeavors.
Eternydee is scheduled to start at the University of Dayton this fall, where she plans to explore business or marriage and family therapy studies.
“This (scholarship) is a blessing,” Eternydee said. “I see myself in 10 years being successful, excited to go to work every day.”
