May 17, 2020

 Chester Housing Authority expanded its Making a Difference scholarship this month with awards to three of its college student residents. An influx of local business donations to the authority’s Chester Housing Initiatives, Inc. nonprofit subsidiary bolstered the program from one award in its 2019 inaugural year to three $1,000 scholarships for 2020.

 The funds will go towards fall ’20 semester tuition for Ciani Hodges at Neumann University; Thomas Jarrett at West Chester University; and Dai’Shona Jones at Morgan State University.

“We also know that during these stressful times brought on by COVID-19, students will need even more supplemental support as funding becomes scarcer and part-time jobs may not be as easy to come by,” said CHA Executive Director Steven Fischer.

“This scholarship means a lot to me, especially in the wake of this pandemic because I am currently out of work,” said Hodges, an English major with minor in history. “I typically work as much as I can in the summer to pay for my books and my tuition, but I am not able to this summer due to the circumstances.”

Jarrett, a social work major entering his senior year, said the award brings him a step closer to making a different in his community. “During dark unprecedented times… there are members of the community who are voiceless and without resources who want change. As a future social worker, it is my goal to advocate for the voiceless, and identify resources for those who are in need.”

“Receiving this scholarship means everything to me,” said Jones, a psychology major and resident assistant. “It will allow me to continue to be the person that I want to be for myself, my family, as well as my city. When I graduate, I want to be remembered as the young lady from Chester, Pennsylvania who worked hard, stayed involved, and made a difference on the campus of Morgan State University.”

The M.A.D. scholarship was founded last year to assist college-enrolled residents who excel in academics and extracurricular involvement. CHA Director of Housing Operations Norman Wise proposed a permanent scholarship fund after personally donating $1,000 to resident and student Paul Mays Jr. in 2019.

SERVPRO of Southern Delaware County and West Chester has signed on as an annual contributor to the fund. “Providing an annual gift to M.A.D not only provides financial support for many students' education, but we feel we are also making an investment in their futures and the development of our upcoming leaders in our world today and into tomorrow,” said Danielle Mortimer, sales and marketing manager.

“Our goal had always been to increase the number of award recipients, and I am grateful for our generous business partners for helping us reach that goal,” said Fischer. “And since times are tough for everyone right now, their compassion is felt that much more.”