congradulations to our 2021 scholarship awardees

Amatullaah Tyler, affectionately known as Tully, is currently a Senior at Lovejoy High School in Hampton, GA. She is set to begin her secondary education in the Fall of 2022 at Oglethorpe University where she will major in Biology. “I first realized that I wanted to become a neurosurgeon in the fourth grade. At first my reason was because I thought the brain was a very interesting and complex organ, and I wanted to know and learn more about it. I eventually had two factors that pushed me into wanting to be a surgeon and those were my sisters", Tully. Her two younger sisters and I have sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder that causes sickling of the red blood cell due to a lack of oxygen. This can be very painful when in a sickle cell crisis, but instead of one of those, her little sister had a stroke when she was seven. Due to the stroke, her dominant side went limp and she had to undergo a brain surgery. "Though I was very scared, I was glad that she had a neurosurgeon who could repair her damaged blood vessels in a way that not many people could", Tully. Her second reason for wanting to become a neurosurgeon is because of her youngest sister, she has scoliosis. While she does not want to become a spinal orthopedic neurosurgeon, she would like to help people with tumors on or around the spinal cord. Tully currently serves as a Youth Commissioner in Clayton County, GA, is a National Sickle Cell Disease Advocate and one third of the inspiration behind MTS Sickle Cell Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that works to raise awareness, sensitivity, and support surrounding Sickle Cell Disease. We are proud to be able to support Tully on her educational journey to make a difference in the lives of others . 

Nia (pronounced Nya) is a graduate of Saint Louis University (SLU) with a Bachelor of Art in African American Studies and minor in Medical Humanities. Nia was offered the distinguished position of being an AmeriCorps VISTA working along side SLUs Vice President of Diversity and Community Engagement along with other faculty to develop and employ programmatic solutions to increase equitable outcomes form SLU and the surrounding St. Louis community. Nia is also a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and avid volunteer with the Sickle Cell Association of St. Louis. Nia received the Kristina Jordan Sickle Cell Scholarship and was awarded the Top Student Abstract Award in Public Policy from the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA). In 2018, Nia and her committee members of Charles Drew Committee, received the Spirit Award for their dedication to awareness for the need to diversify blood donations. Nia is now pursuing her Master of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in health communication and social justice from SLU. We are pleased to ward this year’s Dream Scholarship to Nia to help with continuing her education which will allow her to make a great impact on her community in the future.