Aisha Grantham. Franklin Military Academy, Class of 2016. Graduated from Old Dominion University, Class 2023, BS in Criminal Justice.

How did GRASP and its advisors help you in high school/college?

I first learned of GRASP from my guidance counselor at Franklin Military Academy - it was a program presented to me to help with college prep and by participating I’d receive a scholarship. I jumped on this great opportunity and met with GRASP advisor Mrs.Buckley! Mrs.Buckley was just awesome! She made sure to meet with me, explain the college process, and help to apply for FAFSA. I even reached out to her while in college and she was still there to help. The longevity of the relationships I have with Mrs.Buckley and Ms. Horswell I’m very grateful for - knowing I have them in my corner while continuing my education.

What are you doing now?

I’m a mom of two little ones: 2 and 3 years old. They keep me very busy! Professionally, I have just completed my 3-year internship with the United States Air Force. With the completion of my internship, I am in the process of relocating to Italy for my new position! In my free time, I love to be outdoors doing various activities with my family and reading.

What advice would you give to high school students?

My top 3 pieces of “educational advice” are:

1. Apply to as many scholarships as you possibly can.

Ask your guidance counselor for a list of scholarships. Some scholarships you can apply for as early as 11th grade! Draft one really good, captivating, personal statement explaining why you should be the recipient. Get your draft proofread by your English teacher. Use that statement to apply to as many scholarships as you can…of course tailor each essay to match the prompt. I remember writing my statement about being a first-generation college student, being raised in a low-income single-parent home, and not being able to afford a college education. Be honest in your statement.

2. If you apply for FASFA - only accept the amount of money (loans) you need based on the cost of tuition, room-and-board, books, etc.

Student loan debt is real and one day you will have to pay back any debt you accumulate while in school, whether you choose to graduate or not. This is why scholarships are so important; the more scholarships you have, the least amount of loans you will need.

This means: return any extra loan funds back to your school. I made this mistake- so did many of my peers. Refund checks are really nice to have when you receive them from your school, but if those extra funds are from the loans you accepted, you will have to pay that back in the future.

3. Look out for your future self.

Be proactive by researching, asking questions, and building relationships with your peers and teachers.

If you can’t find the answer to something, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Peers, teachers, and everyone else around you are resources. We all have knowledge of different things- it’s important to know what the people around you are good at so that if you need help with something, you’ll know who to ask. Let’s help each other!

What is the biggest life challenge you faced relative to your educational path?

My biggest educational challenge I faced was dropping out of Undergrad at ODU for 3 years and then returning to finish with no money.

At the beginning of my Junior year, I dropped out. I dropped out because of all the different life changes I was making at the time. I’d just moved off-campus into my first apartment, switched all of my classes to online, and was working full time at Geico insurance company.

Being totally transparent, my family wasn’t able to financially support me while I was in college so I always had to work. When I started working at Geico, I was enticed by the amount of money I was making and no longer felt motivated to finish college.

I took a 3 year break from college. In that timeframe, I started my family and realized finishing college was really important to me again. This prompted a reconnection with GRASP.

Senior year, I ran into the challenge of not having money to take courses over the summer that would allow me to graduate sooner. I reached out to Mrs.Horswell at GRASP who I knew I had as a resource and they made it happen! I was really fortunate they were able to help me in that situation. Now, I get to repay them by sharing what I know about the program with others and contribute in ways like this as well.

Thank you GRASP! You’re really making the difference and I hope my experience attests to that.