Arlington NAACP bestows scholarship awards
atwebb042691 • October 31, 2021
Arlington NAACP bestows scholarship awards

The Arlington branch of the NAACP honored its 2021 scholarship recipients at the organization’s annual Freedom Fund banquet, held online Oct. 28.
Recipients of the Willard Woodson Brittain Jr. Foundation Scholarship Award included Abel Geleta (Yale University); Rylei Porter (Belmont University); Takier George (Howard University); Dulanda Saintcyr (Virginia Commonwealth University); Sophia Nowlin (Bowie State University); Dexter Merritt Jr. (University of Maryland, Baltimore County); and Jessica Pressley (Loyola University).
Recipients of the Arlington NAACP Future Leaders Scholarship Award were Joana Agboka (Virginia Commonwealth University); Chelsea Figaro (North Carolina A&T University); Alexander Hall (University of Virginia); Elena Ogbe (James Madison University); and Belen Tesfaye (Northeastern University.
Arlington NAACP one-time scholarship awards were presented to Celeste Clark (Duke University) and Kira Harrison (Virginia Tech).

For many students, going to college is an expected next step guided by parents who’ve been there before, supported by family traditions, and reinforced by generational knowledge. But for first-generation college students, the journey looks very different. Being the first in your family to attend college is both an incredible achievement and a unique challenge. These students often carry the hopes of their families, navigate unfamiliar systems on their own, and balance financial pressures that can make higher education feel out of reach. That’s where scholarships come in not just as financial aid, but as powerful tools for opportunity, confidence, and transformation. At the Bethune Scholarship Foundation , we believe scholarships do more than help students enroll in college. They help first-generation students become confident scholars, resilient leaders, and change-makers for future generations.








