“To give a scholarship is to provide a future and shape tomorrow. It’s helping me earn my education so I can get an important job and someday help provide a future for another student.”

LaShonda Grant, a senior, has had her mind made up since she was a young girl. “My mother says I have always talked about being a doctor, even when I was very little. That desire has never left me.”  

At age 12, she began thinking about the specialties she could pursue — pediatrics, cardiology — it all seemed fascinating. Then, during her senior year of high school, she discovered her calling. “My sister was pregnant, and I became very interested in all the changes she was going through. I went to every doctor’s appointment, and I was with her when she went into labor. It was an amazing experience to see them care for a woman…and then for her child. I was so eager to learn more.”

With three daughters in college, LaShonda’s family has limited financial resources. LaShonda has stayed in school by taking campus jobs and applying for grants.

She also earned the prestigious Warren Ashby Merit Scholarship. The scholarship was established by Frances and William Mueller to honor Dr. Ashby, a former professor and driving force behind adult education, the Honors Program and the Residential College. “I have seen my hard work pay off — literally,” says LaShonda. “It just motivates me to work harder.”

LaShonda hopes to become an obstetrician/gynecologist and open a free clinic for women from low-income neighborhoods.