By: Christian Valdez
Intense feelings of nostalgia recently emerged in Taneyea Lashell Boyd as she observed the next generation of Simpson students flooding the campus.
You probably know freshman, Boyd, either for her bubbly personality or her involvement on campus. Boyd, a math major, sat on the student panel during the sixth annual Scholarship Interview Weekend, January 28 through the 29th. More than 20 high school seniors who maintained a 3.6 GPA attended for a chance to experience campus life and possibly receive a scholarship, according to the Simpson University website.
“Over two million dollars in scholarships–including two full-tuition scholarships,” were displayed on the Simpson University Instagram page.
Winning one of these scholarships could change the life of any student and a year ago it did.
Boyd who is a recipient of the Trustee Scholarship, which is a full tuition scholarship from Scholarship Weekend recently sat down for an interview with the Slate. Boyd attended the Interview Weekend a year ago where she stepped onto campus for the first time.
Boyd describes hearing about Interview Weekend through her admissions counselor in high school. She was really nervous to interview, but honestly who wouldn’t be? This interview could be life-changing The opportunity to avoid heavy student loans and future debt was right there waiting for her.
Boyd recalls the words “be honest, be real, and be yourself” echoing through her head prior to the interview. Boyd said she poured her heart into the interview.
Boyd said “I was as real as I could be.”
She put down her deposit the following day.
Boyd made a monumental life decision that weekend, making her the first in her family to decide to go away to college, but another tremendous moment would soon follow. She received a call from president Norman D. Hall later on. The president informed her that she had won the full tuition scholarship and she was ecstatic since she would avoid putting her mom through debt, which says a lot about the heart she has.
Boyd said she was disappointed while sitting on the panel and she elaborated on this. She explained that she “still saw a lack of diversity” and her goal was to get “Simpson to be better advertised so that there is more diversity” on campus.
Boyd has ambitions for the future of the school and she has already placed these changes into motion through founding black student union and being a president of the club. Boyd offered a message to all the students from Scholarship Weekend.
“Do what is true to you and if something is important to you, make it a priority, if it's really important to you, you’ll find a way to make it happen.” Boyd is a prime example of what a Simpson Student should be, so let’s take notes.
Sources: Interview Taneyea Lashell Boyd