Harris Wins the Spring 2024 Editor World Scholarship

Nikita Harris, a student in the United States, is the winner of the Spring 2024 Editor World First-Generation Student Scholarship. As part of the submission, applicants were asked to write an essay about what motivates them to complete their education.

I'm motivated by the drive to end generations of poverty in my family's lineage by obtaining a bachelor's degree. I grew up in a low-income household and faced much adversity as a child. Although I was a well-rounded student, I chose to go to work rather than attend college right after high school. While working, I went from dead-end job to dead-end job, making minimum wage for years. I quickly learned the value of having a degree. Having a bachelor's degree opens doors to careers that seem out of reach without it. Having a bachelor's degree also affords one the option to negotiate better pay. I became determined to secure a job that would be my career by obtaining a bachelor's degree. First, I tested myself academically by setting the goal of obtaining a simple certificate in commercial music. Once I obtained the certificate I decided to pursue an associate's degree. Through reverse transfer of credits, I proved to myself that I could stay in school and get a degree, as I acquired my Associate's degree in the Spring of 2023. I am now in my final year as a strategic communications major at the University of Houston. I have managed to make the Dean's list twice while attending college and have maintained a good academic standing even though I'm considered a non-traditional student. Attending college full-time requires many sacrifices for a working student. I work multiple jobs and internships to pay my living expenses and it's very difficult to do so with inflation in the current economy. I'm determined to get a degree and improve the welfare of myself and my family members, regardless of the current hardships in the world. I would be the first in my family to get a degree after many failed attempts by my parents, and forefathers.

About Editor World's Scholarships

Congratulations, Nikita! Spring 2024 was Editor World's first scholarship award in the amount of $500 for a first-generation student enrolled in an educational program. The Fall 2024 Scholarship will be for a first-generation college student enrolled in a graduate program. For more details, visit www.editorworld.com/scholarship.