The Pollard Scholarship has allowed me more time to focus on my studies.
Blambie Fils
By Jazmine Runyon
A senior Florida A&M University (FAMU) elementary education student from Miami is the 2019-2020 recipient of the David E. and Mary J. Pollard Scholarship.
A first-generation Haitian immigrant, Blambie Fils, is the second person to receive the scholarship created in the memory of educators David E. and Mary J. Pollard.
“It is a pleasure to be the David E. and Mary J. Pollard Scholarship recipient,” said Fils. “The Pollard Scholarship has allowed me more time to focus on my studies. Now I have time to study for the Florida Teaching Certification Exam (FTCE), properly prepare for my internship and go to class afterwards without having to worry about rushing to work after a long, tiresome day.”
After graduation, Fils plans to attend graduate school and major in Curriculum and Instruction for STEM education. She also plans to use her summers to tutor children in her native Haiti. Addressing the under-representation of women and minorities in STEM, Fils believes including STEM concepts within Title I schools’ curricula could spark students’ interest and passion to study and master STEM disciplines.
David E. and Mary J. Pollard ended their illustrious careers as educators in Miami modeling the power of education to transform lives. The first college graduates in their families, the Pollards were determined to eradicate some of the financial hardships blocking today’s deserving students from being college graduates.
More than 50 years after graduating from FAMU, the Pollards are upholding their alma mater’s commitment to the advancement of education. The David E. and Mary J. Pollard Scholarship pays recipients’ senior year tuition. Eligibility requirements include being a Florida resident who is a STEM or teacher education student with a 3.0 GPA, or higher, entering their senior year. The scholarship is to help students who have financial challenges preventing them from graduating college.
In 2018, nursing student Sasha Wright became the first David E. and Mary J. Pollard Scholarship recipient. The eldest of 10 children raised by a single mother, Wright was able to finish her senior year without having to get a job to ease the financial burden, thanks to the Pollard Scholarship.
The 2019 FAMU nursing graduate now serves her community as a registered nurse, caring for cardiac patients.
The 2020-2021 David E. and Mary J. Pollard Scholarship selection process will begin soon.
Students can apply for the scholarship by logging onto FAMU’s scholarship portal at
famuscholarships.com.
