Hannah Morey… below you’ll find excerpts from her winning essay for the Global Awareness portion of the 2020 Building A Better World Scholarship.
Please go here to meet all four of our 2020 Scholarship Winners.
I think I found my niche when I went to Selma, Alabama.. “in my junior year of high school… Meeting African American people who were passionate, powerful, and angry at the injustices of the American government was eye-opening, to say the least. Their voices called out in ways that my heart yearned to learn more about. I began to read stories from black people around the world, African American and otherwise, and these books climbed to my all-time favorites. I won’t lie and say that I have learned as much from reading books as I did when I went to Selma, but those books agitated the fire in my belly.”
It’s the rising... “Sometimes, it’s not becoming awake that is the most important, it’s what you do with that knowledge that can be a game-changer. In the words of one of the greatest musicians of my time, Hozier, “It’s not the waking, it’s the rising.” I understand that the world is not black and white, and there are many separate histories of injustices across countless races, cultures, and countries. I want to take in as much as possible and spread this global awareness to other listening ears. Sometimes, one has to ask themselves, “If I’m so passionate about what I love, who better to follow through than me?”
Not just for me…“So many people are asleep to the problems that plague our world and do nothing to pursue awakeness. I want to pursue a lifelong journey that opens my eyes in ways so many people are ignorant to. Even with this in mind, I don’t believe I could complete my path to becoming woke without helping others open their eyes as well. I desire educational opportunities for all, not just for myself.”
The world is calling… “When a person claims that they want to travel, it is often accompanied by images of sandy beaches and tropical fruit drinks. However, I want to expand my horizons and search farther than any beach in the United States could offer me…. So while I am currently in Muskegon, Michigan, I know that my drive and work ethic will lead me towards other parts of the world, intertwining with my life plan. As long as I never settle, there will always be a new place, culture, or person for me to search and to become acquainted with.”
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Hannah’s plans: “I plan to attend Aquinas College for a major in either journalism or political science. I would be fine working with either major because I plan to become a reporter or political podcaster who discusses issues from around the globe. I chose Aquinas because I visited the campus shortly before the Covid-19 quarantine and its beauty and simplicity drew me in. Since I have won the Global Awareness Scholarship, paying off my loans won’t be nearly as hard compared to doing it on my own. Once out of college, I want to expand my reach across the world and help those who need it. Dedicating my life’s work to those who need it would be the best possible outcome for my life.“
