The Grandma Cares Scholarship is awarded in memory of my late Grandmother, Enid Marie Panthier Alexander (March 4, 1930 – July 11, 2019).
“Ma Edward” as she was known in the community, at one point was the guardian of 7 of her grandchildren. I was one of them from about 5 years old and remained with her until adulthood. She and my grandfather took care of us on, doing the best they could with their limited resources.
As a studious child, I was able to capture the 21st position in the Common Entrance exam, and earning this scholarship eliminated a huge load of stress for my grandparents and myself, of course. My sister had also received a scholarship, so we were able to go through the school system much more easily than if they had to worry about buying us textbooks and supplies.
Taking on the financial burden of raising children whom you did bring on this earth is not an easy task. Based on my experience, I personally do not think it is fair for grandparents to be raising their grandchildren after doing their job of raising their own children. But that is a story for another day.
There are children like me out there, who are being taken care of by grandparents, relatives, or even non-relatives and may not be able to acquire an academic scholarship. The Grandma Cares Scholarship is targeted at these children and guardians as a way of paying it forward. As for me, I have been educated to the point of a Master’s Degree totally on scholarships so I know the difference it can make in one’s life.
