Polk State students honored with MLK scholarships
The Polk State College Foundation honored a pair of students with scholarships during Wednesday’s 20th Annual MLK Celebration Luncheon.
Diante Blue and Alexia Gardner each received scholarships worth up to $500 through the Dream the Dream Scholarship fund. Applicants for this scholarship must have an overall college grade-point average of 3.0 or greater and submit written responses about their educational and career goals, community service, the Civil Rights movement, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech.
“By working together and saying, ‘it’s the dream,’ you are ensuring more success in our society and bringing people together,” Gardner reflected on King’s message. “Bringing people together allows for a better sense of feeling safe and respected, as well as feeling like [you’re not so alone].”
Gardner is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Her community service includes volunteering in local elementary schools and nursing homes, gathering toys and food for Heartland for Children, and participating in local park clean-ups. She recently transferred to Polk State from a university to lessen the financial burden and benefit from the College’s tuition which is one-third the cost of tuition at universities.
“With this scholarship, I can feel [more] stable in my life,” she wrote in her application. “[It will] help me grow as an adult.”
Blue echoed a similar sentiment. The Polk State Aerospace student aspires to become a commercial airline pilot and is on track to obtain an Associate in Science in Professional Pilot Science.
“I am excited for this chapter of my life and know what I want my career to be. I have that vision in mind and will rise to the challenge to accomplish it,” Blue wrote. “Having the financial support of scholarships will enable me to continue to pursue my dream.”
Blue’s father is recovering from major surgery as a result of stage-four cancer.
“The financial impact of this disease is great for any family,” Blue shared. “The scholarship helps ease the stress of the added cost of education. It allows us to put our focus on our family and, for me, to focus on my continued education in the aviation field.”
The Polk State College Foundation’s generous donors who make the Dream the Dream Scholarship possible contribute to the success of students like Gardner and Blue. The scholarship is awarded annually during the Office of Institutional Engagement and Compliance’s MLK Celebration Luncheon, which honors Dr. King’s work to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, and create solutions to social problems.
Donations in support of this scholarship and others can be made online at foundation.polk.edu.