Congratulating the Recipients of the RISE 2022 Financial Progress Scholarship

For the fourth consecutive year, Elevate has awarded five hardworking students the RISE Financial Progress Scholarship. We are thrilled to be able to provide financial assistance to these talented students as they pursue their academic studies.

Since the inaugural awards in 2019, our goal has been to help reduce the financial burden of higher education for ambitious college students while also equipping as many students as possible with the financial knowledge needed to achieve long-term financial success.

The RISE Financial Progress Scholarship awards recipients $3,000 to use toward their higher education expenses. Scholarship candidates must complete an online financial literacy course and write an essay sharing how the course may have helped them or enabled them to help someone else reach their financial goals.

Almas Badani

Almas Badani is student at Emory University in Atlanta, where she is currently earning her Master of Public Health. She also attended University of Arizona where she volunteered as Campus Tour Ambassador and was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta.  Almas enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering and helping others.

Marisa Boni

Marisa is attending Bentley University, where she is pursuing dual majors in Business Economics with a concentration in Management and an LSM in Diversity and Society.  As a Research Fellow at the Jeanne and Dan Valente Center for Arts & Sciences, Marisa has participated in lab research studying the novel pharmaceutical application of jellyfish venom.

Kyle Lindsey

Kyle graduated high school with a remarkable 4.39 GPA and is now attending Wheaton College in southeastern Massachusetts. In his free time Kyle enjoys playing basketball and football and is on track to graduate in June of 2026 with a degree in Computer Science.

Grace Schuler

As a student at Drexel University, Grace Schuler’s interest include event planning, music, and traveling. Grace is the President of Drexel Hospitality Society and Student Member of the National Association for Catering and Events. Grace has also been named to the Dean's List and plans on graduating in 2024 with a degree in Hospitality Management.

Carlenne Villalta

Carlenne has a passion for health and is involved with the Together Program at the University of Maryland, where she is majoring in Public Health Science.

She values her position as a research assistant as it gives her the opportunity to help partners receive resources and guidance to healthier relationships. She received the 2022 OMSE Academic Excellence Award for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.58, and when not working or studying Carlenne enjoys gardening, photography, and community involvement.

To qualify for the RISE Financial Progress Scholarship applicants were required to be full-time or part-time university students; or enrolled to start at an eligible career school, college or university next term. Scholarship recipients may use the money to help pay for higher education expenses including tuition, fees, housing, textbooks, etc.