Crossing the Bridge-Dreams Become Reality

The past week has been one of dreams becoming reality. Many of the Bridges students have already received Admission to college. That in and of itself is awesome! However, the Furman family has literally changed two Bridges students' lives by offering admission and one Hollingsworth Scholarship!

Jonathan Riascos-Montoya was awarded the Hollingsworth Scholarship this morning by Jeny Bishop. Jonathan attends Wade Hampton High School. He and his mother are from Colombia. His mom has endured unbelievable things to take care of Jonathan, providing a loving and nurturing environment. She continues to work 12-hour days on the night shift to provide for him. He was awarded a $42,000 financial aid package. His mom said, "This is more than I could make in two years."

After overcoming shock, Jórge Jiménez, a student at Blue Ridge High School cried for 15 minutes after finding out he had been admitted to Furman. Jórge, is one of eight family members. He works 40 hours a week to support his family (literally). He too, has endured unbelievable circumstances to achieve.

I know that Furman is going to be a perfect place for these two young men to grow and develop. Since their first year in Bridges to a Brighter Future, they talked about coming to Furman. This is a dream come true, not only for them, but for their families.

These were the moving words of program director Tobi Swartz. Stay tuned for more good news!