“The scholarship was not just financial aid it also provided me with many other opportunities and helped me establish a focus on my future.”

My name is Miryam Cabieses, I am 19 years old and currently am a sophomore at George Mason University (GMU) located in Fairfax, Virginia. At the moment I have not officially declared a major but I plan to major in systems engineering. I was a student in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) from 2005 until 2011.

During my time with the OSP I attended Sacred Heart School, and St. John’s College High School. While attending St. John’s I participated in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) for a year, as part of the drill team. That program enforced respect, discipline, and the importance in quality of work. I was also a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish National Honor Society, which required an overall GPA average of at least 3.6. The primary advantage of attending an OSP school was the challenging academic environment; I felt the courses offered were more advanced. After graduating, I found that my academic achievement offered me many options for finding colleges of my choice. Thanks to the scholarship and the sturdy foundation I received through my academic experiences, I was able to graduate from high school and become a student at GMU.

The classes I am taking now are not as difficult because of the similarity to the classes I took in high school; I feel prepared and ready. The scholarship was not just financial aid it also provided me with many other opportunities and helped me establish a focus on my future. Being a part of the OSP helped give me the initiative to seek out programs that would provide financial assistance for college.

Many struggle to give their students this opportunity. To future students I would say you need to realize that it is an immense opportunity that not many are given.  After you are established at the school of your choice, it will be easy to notice the difference in environment, the effort from teachers to help and the change in your own work ethic.

My lasting impression of the OSP is that the staff cared about the education of its participants, and were always concerned about us, and how our progress was with the scholarship.

The OSP is a quality program for families that strive to give their children a better education. This kind of experience provides a foundation for students of a realistic perspective of the world through educational opportunities.

“Don’t be afraid of your own potential, a good education gives you the necessary tools needed to realize the possibilities of the world.”

My name is Carlos Battle, I am 20 years old and I was a student in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) from 2004 until 2010. I attended Assumption Catholic School from 7th to 8th grade and graduated high school from Georgetown Day School. Currently, I am an intern at the OSP for the summer. Working at the OSP has given me a new perspective on the ongoing operations of a program that provides educational options for District students. When my internship is finished I will be returning to Boston, Massachusetts for my third year at Northeastern University, where I am working towards my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Social Service.

My first three years in the program served as a wakeup call. At my neighborhood public school, I wasn’t challenged and was able to easily uphold an “A” average even though I spent much of my time focused elsewhere. I was very busy as the captain of the basketball team and though I didn’t spend much time on academics, because of the lack of challenge, I was able to cruise through.

After being awarded the scholarship and moving to a more challenging academic environment, I began to feel the reality of what it feels like to work for my grades. It became more difficult to both play basketball and maintain my grade point average, but I had the support I needed and the drive to do my best. On average I found myself studying until 11pm at night after 3 to 4 hours of basketball workouts and practice. In comparison to my time in my neighborhood public school, it took a substantial amount of effort to balance school and basketball. The hard work paid off. With a firm foundation of work ethic and persistence gained at Assumption I was able to move on to Georgetown Day School and graduate high school with a hard-earned “B” average.

Advice that I would give new awardees after all that I have learned and accomplished from being in the OSP is: With a good education you are capable of accomplishing anything you want. One of the greatest stepping stones to realizing your potential, reaching your goal, and becoming successful is receiving a good education. Don’t be afraid of your own potential, a good education gives you the necessary tools needed to realize the possibilities of the world. With the OSP providing students the opportunity to receive this education, it is clear that only extraordinary things can come from parents and a program that put the well-being of a child’s education first.