October 4, 2018 | UHCL Staff
When Gabrielle Pringle was a senior in high school in 2016, she knew she would need financial assistance if she wanted to go to college. She applied everywhere for scholarships to no avail. When she heard about the Hawk Advantage Scholarship at University of Houston-Clear Lake, she applied. When she received word that she’d been approved, she knew she had what she needed to fulfill her dream of going to college and starting a career in psychology.
“I was so discouraged in high school when I was applying for so many scholarships and not getting anything,” she said. “I heard about UH-Clear Lake and was told to apply for this assistance. The Hawk Advantage Scholarship pays for two of my classes and my books, which is a lot. I am receiving $2,500 per year and it’s a relief not to have to worry about paying for books. I tell people about this scholarship every chance I get.”
Pringle first considered school psychology as a career path, but discovered a different way to help children. “I changed my angle. I’d like to get my degree in psychology and then go on and finish my graduate degree to become a board certified behavior analyst,” she said. “I would like to help kids be successful in their everyday life, and I think I can do that better as BCBA.”
She volunteered at UH-Clear Lake’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which led to a paid position at the Texas Children’s Hospital Autism Clinic. “I’m a research assistant and I’m working as a therapist there,” she said. “I’m shadowing graduate students.”
The Hawk Advantage Scholarship has been the key to helping her accelerate her career path. “I want to graduate in four years with my peers,” she said. “If I didn’t have this scholarship, I would have to go much slower because I’d have to work so much to pay the fees out of pocket.”
The Hawk Advantage Scholarship has helped 108 students complete their college education. To date, 554 generous alumni and donors have given their support through these scholarships and established 12 Hawk Advantage endowments with over $1.9 million in permanent scholarship investments.
Learn more about the Hawk Advantage Scholarship and Costs and Aid at UHCL online.
