I am incredibly grateful for the scholarship I received after graduating from Tennyson in 2005. I went on to UCLA where I graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in education; I also continued on at UCLA for graduate school and received my master’s degree there in 2010. Somehow, life brought me to Washington DC and I have been here in our nation’s capital for about 12 years now.

Interestingly enough, I develop regulations and policies at the national level on grants/work study/ student loan issues at the U.S. Department of Education so I like to think I am paying it forward. Outside of my career and professional trajectory, I’m pretty involved with a running group and also serve as a co-chair for a local scholarship here in the DC metro area.

I can’t help but think that Scholarships, Inc. and so many others gave this scrappy kid from Hayward a shot and a lifetime of opportunities.

-Rene Tiongquico