The foremost issue facing students today is how one is going to pay for their education. With the economy still recovering, incoming freshmen and current degree-bound adults alike are struggling to figure out from where the money is going to come. One local woman, Delphine Wirsing, who currently runs both a children’s health clinic in Devils Pocket and a bar & grill in Vodou named Delphie’s, has provided a ray of light.
“Wirsing Scholarships is an idea I had. Growing up in Hathian one lives a rather diverse life, and it is often times a struggle. I love this city, but it has unique challenges and setbacks. My own time here started with my mother in and out of gangs and always getting hurt. She inspired me to want to do better, to help people, to make this place a safer city for the children of tomorrow.
I have had problems with trouble pregnancies for years and by the skin of my teeth had two adorable children. I love them with all my heart but having them, and raising them, hasn’t made it easy for me to go to school. My situation was one of fortune, since I come from a wealthy lineage, so I didn’t struggle to stay afloat only to find the time of day. Many women are not so lucky. I want to help them, to take some of their strain away, so that they can better themselves through college and give their children a better life as a result.
This scholarship program is geared towards pregnant women who have a need and desire to learn, as well as women who already have children. We will help them get through school and tackle their unique situation on a one by one basis. No one is fit into the same qualifications. I plan on meeting with our applicants to find the best way to satisfy their needs. This scholarship will not be rigid, but I will be firm in making sure that only those who really want this program, only driven women, will get help. We are not here to promote people that don’t want a degree with a passion. If you don’t want it, we aren’t your free ride.”
It seems that Hathian is full of nothing but sorrow and pain, but even with that, every cloud has a silver lining. Delphine Wirsing, a young mother of two, is that silver lining.
For more information, please contact the Financial Aid office on the Columtreal campus.
