Amanda Ricci | Learning Partner Scholarship
Amanda Ricci of Livermore Falls, Maine, is the recipient of the 2021 Learning Partner Scholarship. Ricci is currently pursuing her MBA with a concentration in human resource management.
“I hope to work in the nonprofit management field, gaining experience to then open my own mental health and substance use disorder agency,” she said. “With the experience from my degree and employment, I am hoping to establish a very successful agency to address the whole individual, and not only provide counseling services but also case management to assist and advocate for them.”
Ricci is a volunteer firefighter for the American Red Cross, the United Bikers of Maine and Red Knights of Maine.
Jared Cass | Fire Scholarship
Jared Cass of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the recipient of the 2021 Fire Scholarship. With his degree, Cass hopes to become a better leader within the fire service, enacting change within his local community and at the state level.
“A bachelor’s degree in fire administration is the first step in meeting my goals,” he said. “Being promoted to a chief officer rank and having a diverse educational background with credentialing will allow me to really push to make changes in the fire service.”
Cass is a full-time firefighter and paramedic. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fire administration with CSU.
Mateo Agudelo | Knight Scholarship
Mateo Agudelo of Winter Garden, Florida, is the recipient of the 2021 Knight Scholarship. Agudelo, whose family immigrated from Columbia a decade ago, will use his scholarship to pursue a career in human resource management.
“I was raised by a single mother who immigrated to the United States a decade ago in order to provide a better life for my sister and me. She has been my motivation throughout my undergraduate career and still serves as the light to my motivation in life,” he said. “This MBA degree will allow me to pick up others in my community and show other immigrant children that we can make a better life for ourselves and our families who have sacrificed so much for us.”
Agudelo recently earned his bachelor’s in HR and will use his scholarship to pursue an MBA with CSU. He is the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Apply for the Forever a Hero Scholarship
CSU will begin accepting applications for its Forever a Hero Scholarship on May 28, 2021.
The Forever a Hero Scholarship awards one military veteran up to $25,200 toward one associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree program. The scholarship will be applied directly to the recipient’s tuition for up to three years or until the selected online degree program is completed, whichever comes first. To apply for the Forever a Hero Scholarship, or to learn more, visit ColumbiaSouthern.edu/Scholarships. The deadline for submissions is July 30, 2021.
Disclaimer: These testimonials may not reflect the experience of all CSU students.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography, and degree field, affect career outcomes.
CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.