Nalani Sims
Chattanooga State Collegiate High School senior Nalani Sims has received a full scholarship offer from Tuskegee University, marking one of the largest academic packages offered to a local student this year. The Distinguished Presidential Scholarship, valued at $175,096, covers full tuition, room and board, fees, and an $800 book stipend.
"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed," said Tuskegee University founder Booker T. Washington. Ms. Sims embodies this spirit, having maintained exceptional academic standards while actively pursuing engineering opportunities throughout her high school career.
"Nalani's natural aptitude for academics is remarkable – she consistently excels in our most challenging courses with extraordinary ease," said Marie Mott, Ms. Sims' mentor. "As she considers this opportunity to represent Chattanooga's young Black women in STEM at one of the nation's most prestigious institutions, I'm particularly proud of how she's flourished at Hutchins Academy. Her growth mindset and methodical approach to achieving her goals exemplify what's possible when exceptional talent meets disciplined execution."
The scholarship offer recipient credits her success to the guidance of her mentor and mother, whose belief in her potential never wavered, even when self-doubt crept in. "I was skeptical about receiving any offers," said Ms. Sims, "but my mother and Ms. Mott's faith in me proved stronger than my uncertainties."