Cartersville student, Anysia Boozer is one of just 20 scholars nationally who will be honored with a 2022 Dream Award scholarship, at a dinner and award ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 16. The Dream Award is given to students who have overcome challenges to fulfill their college dreams. It’s an annual award program of Scholarship America, the nation’s largest provider of private scholarships. Since the Dream Award began in 2014, more than $3.2 million dollars have been awarded to 150 deserving students.
Anysia Boozer of Cartersville, GA
Mercer University / Psychology
On Anysia Boozer’s 12th birthday, she said goodbye to her father as he was taken to jail. Despite the pain she felt, she held onto his advice: work hard in everything, and let go of the things you can’t control. That advice inspired her to take on a part-time job, working to help support her family while excelling in school, playing varsity sports and volunteering to help those in need. She dreamed of becoming a doctor, and didn’t let any of the obstacles she faced get in the way—after graduating with a 4.52 high school GPA, she says “I grabbed my diploma and promptly went home, loaded my Grandma’s old Honda with my clothes, a secondhand computer [and] some XL twin sheets, and headed south” to Mercer University. At Mercer, she is a pre-med student working toward a biology degree, with plans to become an anesthesiologist—and a role model for girls in her community.
MINNEAPOLIS (May 10, 2022) –Twenty exceptional students have been selected nationally to receive Scholarship America’s 2022 Dream Award. The Dream Award is Scholarship America’s renewable scholarship program for students with financial need, who have overcome significant barriers to make it to college.
“At a time when some students question whether getting a college education is worth the high cost, others are committed to overcoming those challenges. Our Dream Award scholars represent those remarkable students who persevere despite the hardships in their lives,” said Mike Nylund, president and CEO of Scholarship America. “They’re determined to meet their education and career goals and we’re committed to helping them attain those goals.”
Since the Dream Award began in 2014, more than $3.2 million in scholarships have been awarded to 150 students. The hardships that Dream Award scholars have overcome include personal and family illnesses, poverty, neglect, learning disabilities and homelessness. Seventy percent of recipients are the first in their families to attend college; 80 percent have contributed financially to their families’ income; and nearly one-third have served as caregivers while enrolled as students.
For two years, the Dreams to Success event to honor Dream Award students has been virtual, due to the pandemic. This year, the event returns to an in-person dinner, scholar stories and fundraiser on Thursday, June 16 at 7:00 pm EST, at the InterContinental—The Wharf in Washington D.C.
Press Release