Hailey’s, stepfather, Elias Vasquez, has been working as a Laborer for Hamel Builders for over 10 years. Like many of our Hamel Scholars, she is the first in her family to go to college.
Hailey embarked on the process early in her senior year to give her plenty of time to gain the funding she needed to make her goals a reality. She completed the FAFSA early and began applying for all the scholarships and grants readily available to her. Even if she did not find full-tuition scholarships that solved her financial situation, she still applied because every dollar she received in scholarships would not have to be paid back in student loans.
Hailey was ultimately awarded enough grants and scholarships to cover the costs to attend her first year at Salisbury University and graciously declined the support from the Hamel Scholarship Fund.
Some of Hailey’s scholarships were good for one year only, while others are renewable based upon meeting the criteria of the specific scholarship. Mr. and Mrs. Hamel proudly stepped in to support Hailey’s’ second year at Salisbury while she pursues a concentration in education with an eye toward a future as an Early Elementary teacher.
Hailey continues to search for gift aid that does not need to be repaid to bridge the financial difference while she is enrolled in college.
