When Marian Peters attends Penn State this year, she will be following in her sister’s footsteps. Not only is she attending the same university, but she is also the recipient of a $1,000 Clean Slate Scholarship presented by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh.
“Yes, it’s really great, very helpful,” said the Peabody High School grad. “I’ll be attending the main campus. I’m thinking international studies, political science, theater and finance.”
 |
|
TERRELL McNEELY, MARIAN PETERS
|
Peters was one of 10 such scholars who received a scholarship this year as part of the authority’s E3 Program. Clean Slate E3 is a nonprofit subsidiary funded by private donations, employee contributions and the authority’s annual Charity Golf Classic.
The scholarship program is an annual event designed to reward students who maintain good grades and set an example for their peers. When a student receives a Clean Slate Scholarship Award, they are receiving a 4-year commitment from HACP that is contingent upon the availability of funds and the student maintaining eligibility requirements.
Winning scholars receive $1,000 per year and the program is open to residents of all city public housing communities and Section 8 housing. Created in 2008, the program has grown by more than 40 percent, awarding $7,000 in scholarships last year and $10,500 this year.
“The Housing Authority is trying to help the most deserving public housing residents to achieve self- sufficiency through educational advancement,” said spokesperson Michelle Jackson. “We’ve got hundreds of exceptional young students in our communities, many of whom are relying upon scholarship dollars to continue with their education. When they succeed, we succeed.”
This year’s scholarship students include residents from a variety of Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including Glen Hazel, St. Clair Village, Addison Terrace, Stanton Heights and the North Side. Among the colleges and universities they will attend are Penn State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Slippery Rock University, Carlow University and the Community College of Allegheny County.
Terrell McNeely, from Glen Hazel, who attended Allderdice will begin his studies in secondary education and history at Slippery Rock Aug. 30.
His mother Patrice is elated and thanked the authority for the funds, but said she is somewhat frazzled.
“I’m going cuckoo from all this activity, but I think we’ve got it all together,” she said. “He’s fine. He’s excited.”
McNeely, who suffers from sickle cell disease, said he just finished making sure all his medical files were transferred. He said Cheyney University was his first choice, but they did not get back to him soon enough. He was also accepted to Edinboro and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go. My parents are proud of course,” he said. “I’m the oldest, so I’m the first to go off to college. I’ll be studying teaching, but I’m also a rapper so I’ll be trying to hook up with some DJs once I get settled.”
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
About Post Author
