Introducing Our 2024 Recipients And What An Abundant Life Means To Them…
A’Nyah Woodard
Affiliation: Notre Dame Academy
Scholarship amount: $5,000
School: The Ohio State University
Major: Nursing
“In general, my goals in life include serving others, traveling the world, becoming a nurse entrepreneur, starting a family, and growing in my faith. I plan to serve others by becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, catering to those who struggle with mental health issues. By living more abundantly I am learning to be more patient with people and things because I understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds and that everything happens for a reason. I am learning to be more of a giver, not a taker, and more of a listener, not a talker, because you can learn very valuable lessons in doing so. Giving back to others comes natural to me because I have been very thankful for those times in my life when others have given to me. An example of this is my service work where I aid individuals with developmental disabilities in their everyday activities. It has been very rewarding not only to them, but to me because I’ve come to further appreciate my simple privileges in life and I have grown to be more compassionate.”
From: Tolani Kashimawo Afolabi, Vice President of Donor Relations, NDA: “A’Nyah has not only demonstrated exceptional academic skills but has also actively contributed to the vibrant school community through her participation in various extracurricular activities. Her leadership skills are particularly evident in her role as the President of the African American Club. In this capacity, she has shown a strong commitment to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and cultural awareness within the school.”
Isabella Hsia
Affiliation: Notre Dame Academy
Scholarship amount: $4,000
School: Northeastern University
Major: To be determined
“I believe living your life more abundantly is taking it day by day. Planning out goals ahead for sure, but also focusing on enjoying life right now. I love to see the good things in life, and I believe it to be a simple but effective way to live more abundantly. I also strongly believe that living more abundantly is having deep connections with other people and growing in your relationships with them. Whether platonic or romantic, a human being is meant to connect and find the beauty in life through other people. I believe that you can live your life more abundantly just by looking around yourself and being grateful for the things, people, and opportunities you have every day. My goal in life is to connect with people and learn more about their backgrounds and culture. I find the multitude of cultures we hold within our world to be incredibly interesting, and I have been blessed to have met so many culturally rich people."
From: Susan Mosko Stinson, M.A., NDA Arts Department Chair and Teacher: “…[Bella’s} well roundedness, care for others and detail-oriented mindset will make her a success in her future."
Jon'Asia Walthall
Affiliation: Notre Dame Academy
Scholarship amount: $3,000
School: Xavier University
Major: Nursing
“The definition of abundantly means “in large quantities; plentifully” but, what living my life more abundantly means to me is finding a balance between financial stability and personal fulfillment. For me…. It means having financial freedom, the freedom to invest in travel, my community and explore new opportunities. It’s about not having to worry about how I will pay for something when an emergency comes up. It’s about being able to help out a lot of people and still have some resources for myself. Living life more abundantly is savoring the simple pleasures in life like laughing till my stomach hurts. It’s surrounding yourself with loved ones who lift your spirits and inspire you to be the best version of yourself, not hold you back. Living abundantly is about pursuing your passions with unyielding enthusiasm, doing everything as if it is for the glory of God. It’s about finding the good and gratitude in everything, even the little things. Living your life more abundantly is getting to the end and having no regrets and being proud of what you have done.”
From Laura A. Gallaher, NDA English Teacher and Department Chair - ...[Jon’Asia’s] work reflects sensitivity to the nuances of feeling and observation in the human experience. It also suggests her vision of the world as an ultimately good and hopeful place."
Elisse Ayala
Affiliation: Saint Joseph Academy
Scholarship amount: $2,500
School: Kent State University
Major: Children's Psychology
“My vocational objective is to give families the support that they may need to have a stronger relationship with their children. In the community that I have surrounded myself in, I have seen many kids or teenagers have broken relationships with their families due to children or teenagers' mental health and their family's mental health. I believe that broken homes or weak family relationships could be fixed simply by having a specialist look from the outside perspective, and try to achieve a healthy relationship. I have always known from an early age that I find joy in helping others, especially with deeper personal issues. I know that I work well with kids and I could help them express their emotions to their families in a more reasonable way. Living my life more abundantly means having a balance between my career, my family, my mental health, and my faith. Being able to balance all four of these parts of my life helps me live up to my full potential and purpose here.”
From Kristen Pungitore Busa, SJA Theology Teacher - “Elisse is a thoughtful and gifted young woman who exhibits wisdom and curiosity and she works hard and cares for those around her. Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to get to know Elisse and watch her grow in the classroom from a quieter kid with a big heart to a resilient student who works past hardships, embraces opportunities, and has the ability to bring people along with her
Kenya Nash
Affiliation: TCOLCC
Scholarship amount: $2,500
School attending: Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO)
Major: Musical Theater
“…I aim to lead a purposeful life defined by personal growth through my passion, meaningful connections, and contributions to society. My foremost goal is to prepare constant learning in the field of musical theatre both academically and experientially through performing, fostering a versatile skill set that allows me to adapt to the evolving demands of the arts.
Beyond personal and interpersonal dimensions, I am driven to make a positive impact on the broader community and society. Throughout life, I want to be able to live life to the fullest. Through God, and mentors around me, I want to be able to be happy and joyous in my field. It’s so many people in the world that go through college not experiencing happiness because what their studying isn’t something that they want to do. I want to live my life with abundance by being grateful for everything that God has given me, while also staying humble whenever I reach a goal that I jumped hurdles for.”
From Camille B. Shoals, SEMO Faculty Advisor, Black Indigenous Performers of Color (BIPOC): “Kenya does more for BIPOC than just participating in it. As a founding executive board member of the organization, Kenya has taken on various leadership roles within it, mentoring younger students, collaborating with student organizations, and advocating for increased resources to River Campus, resulting in her being awarded for her commitment to Civic and Global Engagement by the University."
Timiyah Walker
Affiliation: Notre Dame Academy
Scholarship amount: $2,000
School: Wayne State University
Major: Mortuary Science
”Living my life more abundantly means walking in the calling and gift that God has specifically set for me during this lifetime. As a young girl, I always had the desire to work in the mental health field. Experiencing traumatic events at such a young age gave me a passion to want to help those who were suffering in whatever capacity that I could by using Godly core principles as my foundation. My overall goal is to obtain a master’s degree in Christian Counseling. I will incorporate my Christian faith with the educational teachings of psychology to help address mental health, as well as help my personal relationships and the people around me."
From: Ms. Angela Joseph, International Baccalaureate Director, NDA: “Timmy is honest and has a moral compass that makes her a good person to rely on for perspectives and being able to see both sides of situations. She was chosen to be part of a Catholic Leadership seminar class that specifically leads our students in retreats and other faith filled collaborative activities. While Timmy is not Catholic, being chosen for this class is special as it shows her respect for all faiths and for guiding others to find their spirituality. Her main goal all 4 years has been to promote cultural diversity in a variety of ways. She has [also] been an advocate for those who have no voice, especially for our international students.”
Join Us
We have more good work to do and you are an integral part of our success! Join us as we continue our mission in support of underrepresented youth and adult learners at organization’s Paul loved dearly. Here’s how you can get involved, with a simple click of a button:Wish to make a gift? Our website is your destinationWish to help us spread the word? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.Wish to get involved? Be on the lookout for details about our annual summer fundraiser event… coming soon!
Again, thank you, for being a part of this community and for ALL that you do to support The PNR ALSF!.
Wishing You An Abundant Life,
Vanessa (Van) Randolph and
The Paul Nelson Randolph Abundant Life Scholarship Foundation Board