DCHA Honors Winners of Co...

DCHA Honors Winners of Commitment to Excellence Scholarship

The DC Housing Authority awarded four talented students the Commitment to Excellence Scholarship during a ceremony on Aug. 9. The impressive and motivated honorees are Lucious Crawford, Deniesha Tyree, BreAnn Tucker and Jada Cummings, a group with aspirations to become leaders in industries ranging from healthcare to art.

"It's an honor to support members of our DCHA families as they embark on the next chapters in their educational journey," DCHA Executive Director Keith Pettigrew said. "This is just one of the first steps in their path to a successful future. DCHA and I will be cheering them on!"

Lucious (pictured above) will further his studies at Fordham University with a focus on economics and accounting. In his essay, he showed a great passion for music, explaining how he uses it to ground himself and temper his anxiety during a stressful school day. "After the day finished, I had ultimately learned life is an improvised symphony of moments, like jazz. Through spontaneity and adaptation, we select our notes, form harmonies, and create our own melody," he wrote.

Deniesha (pictured above) wrote her essay on the significance of art in the Black community and advocated for its display in museums because "the art world should represent the diverse world we live in." She is studying art & visual technology at George Mason University while honing her skills to advocate for creatives like herself.

BreAnn (pictured above) is pursuing a nursing degree at Morgan State University. In her essay, she said she wants to provide care for low-income communities in D.C, in particular those in Ward 8 where she will "pay forward by contributing back to the same community I was born and raised in."

Jada (pictured above) is seeking a public health degree fromCapella University. "Driven by a deep-seated desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others," she wrote, her goal is to ultimately become a doctor.

Ty'Ronn Spriggs, DCHA Youth Coordinator, and Nichole Blackman, DCHA's FSS Coordinator, gave opening remarks and presented the scholarship awards. BJ Paige, executive director of Youth Guidance DC, delivered a keynote address that inspired the scholarship winners to persevere when faced with challenges while "remembering who was in their corner" when they're ready to give back to their community.

For 27 years, DCHA has supported education and the path to self-sufficiency through its Commitment to Excellence Scholarship program, which is open to residents of DCHA public housing communities and members of a Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) households who are attending an accredited college, university, or trade/technical school with a grade point average of 2.0 or above.