A determined homeless lady, Celeste Lundy has fought her way to earn a full scholarship to study at Texas A&M University in the United States despite facing the challenges of being homeless.
Celeste, from Houston, obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering University, Houston United States. This achievement made her the first in her family to graduate from the university.
She said that the journey to earning the degree was challenging but she pushed through with encouragement from her mother, a drive to succeed, and some help she received along the way paved the road.
Celeste mentioned that she and her family lived in a hotel for two years and faced different difficulties. She said despite the different setbacks, her mother always encouraged her interest in chemistry and math.
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Celeste said her mother enrolled her in the Houston Kincaid School’s Engineering, Math, and Science Institute, a free, three-year summer program that introduces minority students to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
She added that the experience deepened her interest in chemical engineering which motivated her to apply to colleges that offer the courses. Celeste said Texas A&M was at the top of her list after she was nominated for a scholarship.
She said she considered the university after a school counselor nominated her for the Posse Foundation scholarship program and she was selected. The nomination meant she would receive a full tuition scholarship and also have a dedicated Posse mentor to provide support and advice throughout her college years.
Celeste was also awarded a Terry Foundation Scholarship, a Houston-based foundation that provides significant funding for traditional, first-time freshmen who graduate from a Texas high school.
“This meant I would not have to worry about how I was going to pay for my education. It allowed me to focus my time on studying and pursuing things that interested me,” she said. She also said navigating life as a first-generation, Black, female student in engineering at the university was challenging.
Celeste said her freshman classes were a struggle and she often spent 12 hours or more completing assignments and she always put pressure on herself to produce perfect work.“I have always been hard working so when I started at Texas A&M, it wasn’t that big of a change for me,” she said.
She credited her mentor, Tanya Wickliff, a fellow Black woman in engineering and a Texas A&M professor for being a huge help to her. Celeste said she was Wickliff’s mentee through the Posse Foundation and also served as her teaching assistant.
“Being able to talk through my issues with someone who had been in a similar situation as me in the past has been a true blessing because a lot of her advice influenced how I got into my career now,” she said.
Celeste graduated from Texas A&M University with an honors grade. Her performance while a student earned her a full-time position at Dow Chemical, a chemical company in the United States after graduation.
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