Education is the Great Equalizer

Her uncle is an alumnus of the University of Louisville. Her papa is a big fan of University of Louisville. It’s close to her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky – about an hour and 45 minutes away – but far enough that she would not go home every night. When it came time to choose a college, it was fairly easy for Kentucky Alpha Brianna Gibson to know she wanted to attend the University of Louisville.

Along with her membership in Pi Beta Phi and her participation in raiseRED dance marathon, Brianna is the proud recipient of the Woodford R. Porter Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded annually to African-American students graduating from a Kentucky high school who exhibit a strong aspiration to succeed and give back to the community. The award was named after Woodford R. Porter, who was known for his dedication to education advocacy. He once said, “education is the great equalizer,” as he believed it to be the ultimate path toward self and collective improvement.

Along with receiving the scholarship, Brianna is part of the Woodford R. Porter Scholarship Program that provides academic, personal and professional support to all the recipients of this scholarship. The students’ support is based on four pillars: scholarship, leadership, service and heritage.

Recently, Brianna enjoyed being part of the team whose service project was building a community garden. And although program members are only required to go three times a semester to help in the community, Brianna tries to go at least once a month.

She enjoys helping the community and also meeting other students who have received the scholarship. And as she creates bonds with these students, she has another network of support on campus.

In only her sophomore year, Brianna continues to develop as a strong young woman. She has found a passion: to become a speech therapist focused on working with children. She developed this interest last summer while working for a speech therapist that helped children with disabilities. For Brianna, it is also personal. There are children in her family with similar disabilities.

When Brianna got back to school this fall, she switched her major immediately to focus on this area. Although initially scary switching her major, she now feels extremely lucky because she knows what she wants to do. She is settled into a new focus allowing Brianna to make college a more fun experience for her. “It’s easier knowing what I want to do, how long I will go to school and what the end result is,” she said.