When Destiny Harris heard the names of 12 other scholars called before hers Wednesday night at the Detroit Athletic Club, she had a sigh of relief on her face. That meant she was the winner of the $10,000 scholarship grant at the 2019 Michigan Chronicle S.W.A.G. (Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness) Scholarship Awards presented by Chemical Bank.
“This was all God’s doing. It has to be him,” said the soft-spoken senior from Southfield A&T High School. “I am so glad to be named the grand prize winner. This money will put me one step further to reaching my academics goals.”
Harris was one of 13 finalists selected from hundreds of applications which required the students to outline their personal vision for success. S.W.A.G. scholarships were not awarded solely based on academic performance, but were specifically created to ensure that more Detroit students that demonstrate leadership in multiple areas other than grades, have access to scholarships.
In her essay, Harris detailed how her home life affected her schooling. Her father is mentally ill and when she and her family were evicted from their home, it became difficult for her to attend school and maintain good grades. But Harris persevered despite her trying circumstances and still found it in her heart to assist others in need.
“Now that I am living in a transitional living program independently, I have made efforts to be more involved in my community,” Harris wrote. “I volunteer to teach life skill classes for runaway and homeless youth, cleaned an apartment for someone who was in a program for young adults dealing with housing issues, and worked at the YMCA to watch children.”
Harris said she plans to attend Tarrant County College in Texas, where she is originally from, to pursue an Associates of Arts degree. She is an avid dancer and wants to open a dance studio for underserved students.
“Since I know the feeling of wanting to dance at a professional studio but not being able to afford to go, I would like to open an affordable dance studio for people who don’t have as much money as most of the population so that they can have efficient training as well,” said Harris.
Started in 2015, the S.W.A.G. Awards continually seek to identify students who have demonstrated a commitment to community, service and integrity.
Attending a school that is 71 percent white and just 17 percent African American, it took an abundance of courage for $5,000 scholarship awardee Monet Stewart to start a Black History Month program at Chippewa Valley High School. During her freshman and sophomore years, she became discouraged when her school did not acknowledge Black History Month. But with the help of an organization called “Be the Change”, supportive advisors and club members, she was able to host a week-long celebration of black culture and hopes it will continue long after she has graduated.
“During my first couple of years at Chippewa Valley, we didn’t really celebrate Black History Month. I didn’t have any black teachers or black mentors,” said Stewart, who also became her school’s first black Student Government President. “But during my junior year, I finally got a black mentor and he understood me. He understood that I wanted to change things in the school so that students that looked like me felt appreciated.”
Stewart’s mentor attended an HBCU and is a part of a fraternity as well. That inspired her to do the same, enrolling into Spelman College this fall to major in biology on a Pre-Med track. Her plan is to spend the next 8-12 years pursuing a career as an obstetrician gynecologist.
The S.W.A.G. Awards are only in its fourth year, but originated over 30 years ago when Gary Torgow, Chairman of Chemical Financial Corporation, and Michigan Chronicle Publisher Hiram E. Jackson became friends. With the rising cost of college tuition, many students in Detroit are discouraged from pursuing a degree or some form of higher education because it may be too expensive. The two friends and businessmen formed an alliance, dedicated to investing in students who strive to excel educationally and in life.
“So many kids have opportunities but there are so many that are left behind,” Torgow said. “They don’t get the resources that they need in order to attend college or even trade school. We thought the S.W.A.G. Awards would be a good way to help them.”
“I’m a product of people reaching back,” Jackson added. “I believe that it takes just one person to create something special in your life. When you do this community-based stuff, it should be with a goal of reaching one child or one individual. And my life was impacted by people who decided to do something for the community. I was the beneficiary of stuff like this when I was younger. I’ve seen the benefits of how a motivating factor can work.”
The keynote speaker, Courtney Smith, is the Executive Director and founder of the Detroit Phoenix Center, a center that gives youth ages 13-24 a place to drop in to get something to eat, shower, wash their clothes, watch television or play video games. She, too, learned firsthand the challenges homeless youth face on the streets as a teenager and college student. She overcame her challenges to earn a Bachelor of Science in sociology from Eastern Michigan University and assist others in doing the same.
“My very unique and non-traditional upbringing made me who I am,” said Smith. “The biggest pain-point of my life is now the biggest purpose-point. I have the opportunity to mentor some incredible youth and it is a privilege. I want you S.W.A.G. Award recipients to go out and own the journey that you’re on and along the way, help others own theirs.”
The 2019 S.W.A.G. Award awardees:
Destiny Harris, Southfield High School for the Arts & Technology: $10,000
Monet Stewart, Chippewa Valley High School: $5,000
Dustin Sims, University High School Academy: $5,000
Zariah Bridges, Renaissance High School: $2,000
Cameron Collins, Detroit Country Day: $2,000
Mackenzie Cook, Cousino High School: $2,000
Terrell McDowell, River Rouge High School: $2,000
Gregory Miller II, Cass Technical High School: $2,000
Zaria Pope, Cass Technical High School: $2,000
Austin Raymond, University of Detroit Jesuit High School: $2,000
Dorian Smalley, Renaissance High School: $2,000
Maya Solomon, Cass Technical High School: $2,000
Taylor Vasser, Detroit Edison Public School Academy for Early College Excellence: $2,000
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