Faculty and Staff,
My name is Careese Stokes, I am a sophomore
General Theatre major at Longwood
University, who was was recently granted a
scholarship for the spring of 2015. Words
cannot express how truly grateful I am. This
scholarship has helped me immensely this
semester, and I could not be happier with how
well everything is finally falling into place.
I was inspired to become a theatre major not
solely because I love theatre, but also because I
have a vision to encourage others to take
chances and do the things for which they have a
passion. With theatre, I hope to rekindle
optimism and marvel into the lives of those
around me, and hopefully by doing this, I can
show others that they are truly capable of
anything. Longwood was the best option for me
because when I am here I feel as if I am at
home. I absolutely adore the school’s grand sense of community and the attention and care the
professors give to their students. After I leave Longwood, I have plans to take up acting and other
positions within a theatre company. Before I was granted with this scholarship, I was in a
constant battle trying to find enough money to cover my studies, and now I can proudly say that it
has successfully helped me pay off my tuition and books for the semester. Now that my expenses
are covered, I can fully focus on excelling academically and getting more involved with the
community.
I also would like to take this time to strongly advocate how important it is to contribute to the
general scholarship fund. Many adults want nothing more than to receive a higher education and
to shape their future in a positive way. Over the years it has become increasingly difficult to be
able to attend college, so difficult that college has become more of a privilege. The opportunity
for an education should not be hard to obtain; it should be accessible. I believe it is essential for
aspiring leaders of our society to at least have the opportunity to expand their schooling, but
without the finances to do so, it is merely impossible. By giving to the general scholarship fund,
more individuals could finally have the chance to grow as citizen leaders and help change the
world by using the knowledge they obtained from an accredited university to benefit the future.
Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.
Maria Montessori (1870–1952)
Thank you for your time,
Careese J. Stokes