Thank you to all our impressive applicants for this year’s 2022 Back and Better Scholarship! Congratulations to Kevin Xia for being this year’s winner!
Biography: I dropped out of Ohio State University after a long struggle with depression and an untreated learning disability. After spending a year rethinking my path in life, I decided to enroll at a community college. There, I carefully assessed what went wrong with my studies and resolved to use this time to get myself back in shape academically and personally. I graduated with honors and transferred to my current school, Columbia University, to continue my education in biology.
Reaction: Learning that I had been chosen as 2022’s Back and Better Scholarship winner came as a wonderful surprise. After so many hours of writing and submitting scholarships, winning has given me a sense of confidence in my writing capabilities. In a way, this reflects my own academic journey. Enrolling in community college after dropping in 2018 from my previous institution, then graduating and arriving at Columbia University, where I plan to complete my degree, taught me that any setback is only temporary if you work to overcome it. I hope to embody this lesson as I continue my education with the funds from the scholarship.
