55,000 Degrees

Announcements

Nursing Student Wins ‘Grab Cash for College Challenge’
Still Time for Other Students to File Financial Aid Forms

Melinda Gardner, who just returned to college more than 20 years after she started, is the winner of the “Grab Cash for College Challenge” and a $1,000 scholarship from 55,000 Degrees and PNC Bank.

Gardner, a Spalding University nursing student, grabbed the most bills in the money-blowing booth in 30 seconds to win the top prize handed out by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, chairman of the 55,000 Degrees board. Two runners-up – Clayton Colwell, a high school senior from Lexington, and Keneysha Rodney, a University of Louisville social work major – each won $500 scholarships.

The competition was held on Jan. 29 at the University of Louisville as part of the College Goal Sunday event, which helps students and their parents complete federal financial aid forms. The three winners were chosen from nearly 800 current and prospective college students who registered at www.55000degrees.org and completed their financial aid forms to qualify to compete.

The Grab Cash for College Challenge was created by 55,000 Degrees to encourage students to apply for financial aid for college before the limited federal funds run out. 55,000 Degrees encourages prospective college students to go online today to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.

“Don’t wait!” Fischer told the crowd. “You’ve got to get those forms filled out.”

Gardner, 38, got lost on her way to the competition and arrived only moments before her turn in the booth. But once inside, she found a path to victory by “letting the money come to me” instead of grasping for bills in the air.

After working as a cook for years, Gardner last year decided to enroll at Spalding University and work toward a nursing degree.

“Without an education, you really can’t get ahead in life,” Gardner said. “My best advice to anyone is education should always be first.”

Rodney, one of the runners-up, also dropped back in to college about a decade after she began. “I started school and then life happened,” she said. “I got married and had kids and didn’t finish.”

This year, Rodney, 32, will help add one more degree to Louisville’s effort to earn 55,000 more college degrees when she graduates with a bachelor’s in social work. Then she’ll head back to school to work on her master’s degree and her goal of becoming a marriage and family therapist.

Colwell, 18, said he will put the $500 runner-up scholarship to use when he heads to the University of Louisville’s Speed School in the fall. His mother, Jeanette Rheeder, smiled and nodded. “Every little bit helps,” she said.

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55,000 Degrees is committed to

furthering the Greater Louisville Education Commitment, a targeted plan to raise education levels in our community. The Commitment’s

Vision is to create a world-class, seamless and coordinated education system that provides ample opportunities for developing creativity and critical thinking, skilled workers, engaged citizens, and civic leaders.

Common Purpose is to galvanize education, business, faith, civic, and community leaders and organizations in support of a common agenda to increase education attainment, prosperity, and the quality of life.

Goal is to move Louisville into the top tier among its peer cities by raising education attainment so that by 2020 at 40% of working-age adults hold a bachelor’s degree and 10% an associate’s degree.

Objectives are to:

• Create and support a college-going culture
• Use the business community’s unique points of leverage to accelerate attainment
• Prepare students for success in college, career, citizenship, and life
• Make postsecondary education accessible and affordable
• Increase educational persistence, performance and progress

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