Getting a college degree is expensive.
Not everyone can afford to attend. Most high school graduates who dream of getting a college degree need to apply for scholarships or loans – and even these two choices are not always available to everyone.
When high school graduate Verda Tetteh had a shot at college, she took it.
She knew that Fitchburg High School would be awarding two students the General Excellence Award.
She applied for it, but she knew she had some tough competition.
Verda was lucky enough to be accepted into Harvard University.
Despite this acceptance, the high school’s coveted scholarship would still be a big deal. After all, a total $40,000 grant was still up for grabs ($10,000 for each year in college).
What Verda didn’t know was that other great news awaited her.
She delivered a speech on her graduation day. At that time, she wasn’t aware that something good was about to happen.
After her speech, the school staff announced that she had been awarded the General Excellence Award.
Verda was surprised by the news. She returned to the podium and made the most selfless announcement in front of the school administration and her fellow graduates.
Verda said that she wanted the school to give the scholarship to someone else.
With her Harvard acceptance and other scholarships already secured, she knew that she was already very blessed to have secured her entire college. She said that she knew that she wasn’t the most in need of it at that point.
What Verda wanted to do was to give others a chance to go to college.
She asked the school administration to give the scholarship grant to a student (or students) who deserved it. She acknowledged that the $40,000 grant could help send one or more students to community college.
Her parents weren’t surprised by what she did.
Many people might think what she did was crazy, but her parents knew Verda had it in her to share what she had. Her mother, Rosemary, was even proud of her spontaneous decision. She saw that level of maturity as a huge capability for facing the real world.
Verda also looked up to her mother for inspiration.
Her mother was an immigrant from Ghana who brought her into the United States and worked 80 hours a week to provide for their family. Rosemary always instilled the importance of education in her children. Too important that even she pursued a bachelor’s degree in a local community college at the age of 47.
That perseverance also became Verda’s assurance of her future.
She said that even if she would find herself a few bucks short once she went to Harvard, she knew she could find the means to provide for herself.
Hear more about Verda’s inspiring actions in the video below!
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