Growing up, we hear phrases such as “dream big!” “the sky is the limit!” or “you can be whatever you want to be!” While these statements can be encouraging, sometimes they can be frustrating if you don’t have the ability to finance your dreams or the means to get to where you want to go. Foundations of East Chicago (FEC) understands this very well and that is why they are determined to help East Chicago students finance their education so they can reach those goals and dreams.

Naseera Salahuddin-Williams, an East Chicago high school grad, is one of those big dreamers that is reaching for the sky. She received the FEC scholarship in 2017 and is attending Indiana State University where she was accepted into the nursing program. “I plan on growing as a dancer on the hip hop FULLOWT dance crew, and continue to hold my position on the executive board of the Hulman Memorial Student Union Board. I also plan on utilizing my degree and licensure to become a RN with a Bachelor’s in Science. Then I plan on attending graduate school to become a Nurse Practitioner. Which will eventually lead to the opening of my own practice.”

In order to achieve these goals, Naseera knew that she would need financial assistance and applied to the FEC scholarship as well as others. She states, “The FEC scholarship has allowed me to pursue my degree, while being completely debt and loan free. The $5,000 I received, in conjunction with the other scholarships I earned, completely lifted the burden of the cost of attendance off of my shoulders.” She wants to encourage all East Chicago students to apply and follow their dreams and also thanks FEC for the assistance she received. “I would like to tell FEC thank you for creating this opportunity for the hardworking students of the Region. A substantial, renewable scholarship is hard to come by, and this one really helps out a lot.”

FEC looks forward to seeing Naseera reach her goals of becoming a successful Nurse Practitioner!