Kennedy Manuel

My name is Kennedy Exandria Manuel, and I am a junior at Queens College. I am majoring in Chinese and plan to minor in anthropology. Being from Texas, I realized how difficult tuition and the cost of living can be in the state of New York. As a first generation student who strongly values family, it is especially more difficult balancing the cost of school, work, and providing for my mother and grandmother back in Houston. I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Miss Glaelle Mathurin, the founder herself. As another woman of faith, she was able to provide encouragement, support, and insight on how to navigate life as a young woman in a new city and on how to be unwavering in my spirituality. It is my honor to be the recipient of this year’s scholarship. This scholarship helps take a dent out of the cost of my tuition, so I can focus more on my goals for both college and my career. I pray that there are more blessings such as the Glaelle Mathurin Community Foundation in store for me this semester.