Behold the future — Latino Dollars for Scholars

My name is Keyla Victoria Hernandez. I was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic on October18, 1989 and raised in New York, Providence and, lastly, Newport.

I grew up with my three brothers, my mother and father as one big family. As a child I always knew that I wanted to excel academically and my parents always made sure we did. I was always told by my teachers, family members, and other authorities that I would make it someday, so I felt that I had to do well academically in order not to let anybody down. However, in the end I realized that being the first child in my family to take advantage of higher education was something that I wanted for myself all along.

In both my middle school and high school years, I kept myself busy in extracurricular activities, which, for the most part, kept me out of trouble. In middle school, I enjoyed sports, such as basketball and softball. During those three years, I was part of the softball team and student council. If you want to earn some side cash while enjoying watching some sports, you can trust betting sites such as dadu online.

In high school, I became a member of the JV basketball team, Dance Team and Students Against Domestic Abuse. I was elected to the National Honor Society, while also balancing a part-time job at a local Stop and Shop. In addition, I enrolled in AP classes starting my junior year.

All of this was not easy, but it all benefited me. I was acknowledged by the community and presented the Dr. Marcus Wheatland Award and Scholarship during Black History Month. I also received other honors and scholarships that helped me to get where I am today.

Currently, I am a full time student at Salve Regina University majoring in Elementary Education and Spanish with hopes of teaching English as a Second Language in elementary schools. I’m still also working part-time at Stop and Shop to help my parents at home and pay for pay school expenses.

I definitely have to say that all my hard work paid off. Also, the support from my parents, friends, teachers, and others motivated me to continue to achieve my goals and make something out of my life. As a result, in the near future, I would like to assist students from low income families and minorities who are interested in higher education to get into a college and make a difference. Right now I?m practicing with my younger brother.

Gayle’s Note:

Congratulations, Keyla, on completing your first year of college.

Cause & Effect Inc. sponsors a scholarship through Latino Dollars for Scholars of RI (LADORI). Keyla is the student that our scholarship was awarded to.

LADO is a fabulous, all volunteer organization. Its current board is almost entirely composed of of young Latino professionals who raise funding for 15-18 college scholarships a year. The annual awards banquet is one of the most uplifting events I get to go to — it is overflowing with the bright promise of these hardworking, intelligent, thoughtful young Latina/Latino men and women. They are the future of the United States and for that, we can all be very proud.

You can help students like Keyla achieve their college dreams by making a donation to Latino Dollars for Scholars. Just click here.