“I grew up in a household headed primarily by a mother, father was sick with chronic illnesses. I did not grow up in the best financial circumstances but my family still made getting a quality education a priority for me. At the time, my family could not afford to send me to college so my mother told me ‘If you don’t get a full-ride, you’re not going to college.’ Those words were a wake-up call and I busted my butt in my academics. I know the desperation of applying for scholarships and grants all too well and was extremely fortunate to have received ample funding to attend the college of my dreams. My purpose in this fund is to make sure that sort of funding is available to the next generation so that they don’t have to go through what I had to.”

— Bruce Ahn

“One of my biggest childhood aspirations was to one day attend and graduate from the University of Miami. I knew early on that this goal required high amount of dedication and commitment and carried a price tag much larger than my family and I could afford. With a strong support system and work ethic instilled in me by family, mentors, and friends, I was able to earn the scholarships and financial aid that I needed to make my dream a reality. Now that I’m in a position to give back, my goal is to help the Fourteener Fund give students the resources they need, so that they too can accomplish their educational and professional aspirations.”

— Nathaniel Bradley III

“Deciding what move to make after graduating high school can be very stressful, especially when money is a big concern. However, these decisions can also be the most transformative and impactful. Throughout my college career, I was lucky to be able to take risks and follow my passions in part because of the financial help I received from scholarships. Whether it was delaying graduation and moving to a new city for an internship, or deciding to study at a foreign university and take classes in another language, these big “giant leap” decisions have been the most impactful on my personal development. The Fourteener Fund is important to me because I can help mitigate some of the financial barriers between students and their goals, allowing them to make those leaps with more confidence.”

— Sean Downs

“In high school, I dreamed of becoming a physician. However, the path to becoming a physician takes a long time and comes with a large financial burden. Similar to my friends, my family could not afford to pay for college, so I worked hard to put myself in the best position for scholarship awards. I know that receiving scholarship support has helped me follow my dream of going to medical school. Scholarships have granted me the freedom to follow my passions including scientific research and volunteering in the community without stress. My hope for the Fourteener Fund is to support students so they can explore their passions without financial worry.”

— Do Hun Park

“My love for higher education and helping others has always been a passion of mine. I observed that my peers and I were worried about finances and that caused a tremendous ripple effect into  our education pursuits. Financial burdens impacted opportunities, interfering with goals. I was fortunate to be able to have the guidance and support from my support systems, but I wish that what I have learned I would have known earlier in hopes to alleviate some financial burden and other constant stressors.

It is my hope that  through alleviating financial burdens and supporting our students from our experiences and resources, we can make the process easier so our students can get back to what matters most - receiving an education and pursuing their dreams.”

— Rachel Bates

“College can be one of the most exciting times of your life, as well as one of the most stressful. When I attended college, there were moments that I thought returning the next semester was impossible, due to the financial burden. I am sure there are many that have experienced the same seemingly insurmountable feeling. My hope is that The Fourteener Fund will be able to alleviate these feelings of stress for students attending college. While we are still a small organization, we have big plans for the future. We are just getting started.”

— Andy Stockinger

“II grew up in a household where both of my parents worked full time jobs just to make it by. I was never really great in school, as I was really good at doing just enough, and my grades reflected that. This means that I wasn’t able to get college paid for and this has always been a struggle. I have now paid my way through 4 years of college while only taking minimal loans. I understand the hardship that families face when trying to put someone through school. I am a part of the fourteener fund because I wanted to help my community any way I could. Getting into college is something that we have to work hard for, but paying for college is something that is often out of our control.”

— Nick Koeppen