“With Appreciation in My Heart”
Grateful Student Reflects on Scholarship that Brought Her to Burlington
For Diedra Boateng ’23, the journey to the University of Vermont was filled with obstacles, detours, and hills to climb. The Virginia native spent most of her childhood in Ghana and returned to New York City to live with her aunt just before her first year in high school. With a younger brother also headed to college, Boateng knew that paying for school would be a challenge for her family. “My aunt wanted us to live a better life and have great jobs, but money was an issue for us. When I learned about UVM’s Urban Partnership Program with my high school, I thought to myself that if I can work hard, I can get the scholarship.”
Boateng worked hard to keep her grades up, and when all the studying was done, she says, “I was just praying for the scholarship, just waiting for it.” When the good news came that she had been selected, her aunt was the first to know. “My aunt had so much joy and pride because she knew all the hard work I put into it, and I was just proud to have eased her worries.”
Boateng says she’s grateful for the support that has allowed her to broaden her social circles and her academic interests at UVM. The health and society major is on track to complete both her undergraduate degree and UVM’s accelerated master’s program in public health in the next three years. She’s exploring career options in public health, from working in a hospital to a job with the CDC.
“My experience so far has been one of a kind,” she says. “I have a great support system and community, and I feel at home. All of this happened because of my scholarships, and I want to say that I appreciate it all. It has completely changed my life and made my college experience everything I could imagine. I will accomplish all my goals and yours with appreciation in my heart.”
Diedra Boateng ’23 is a member of UVM’s Afro-Fusion Dance Team. She is a recipient of the Cultural Diversity Scholarship. Photo courtesy of Diedra Boateng ’23.
The President’s Common Ground Scholarship
Launched as part of the Student Opportunity, Access, and Recruitment (SOAR) Campaign, the President’s Common Ground Scholarship Fund will help students, like Diedra, from historically underrepresented and underserved groups attend UVM. This scholarship builds upon UVM’s shared principles to further extend the opportunities presented by a vibrant, equitable, affordable, and accessible education.