Winning Spirit Magazine May-June 2019 | Page 25

2019 LHM Diversity Scholarship recipients UTAH The Gift of Opportunity Diversity Scholarship Recipient Looks Forward to New Career Teresa Alisa Cloward LHM Charities Donations for March and April 2019 CALIFORNIA Lemon Grove School District COLORADO Arthritis Foundation Youth Camp IDAHO Meridian Middle School UTAH Utah 1033 Foundation Camp Hobe Cottages of Hope Intermountain Therapy Animals Nine Mile Canyon Coalition St. George Children’s Museum Youthlinc Five for the Fight Foundation Leavitt Group Charitable Golf Tourney Benefiting JDRF T eresa Alisa Cloward was born in Japan to was able to quit her jobs and focus entirely an American father and Japanese mother. on her studies. As Teresa puts it, “When I Her family never had much money, so found out that I won the scholarship, I went educational opportunities for she and her and walked around campus and I was amazed siblings were few and far between. Her mother at how much was going on that I hadn’t would provide the children with study guides been able to see before because I was always intended to provide lessons for an entire year. working.” And yet Teresa fi nished each of her volumes Recently, Teresa fi nished her studies, in a month, revealing a keen mind and an graduating with a degree in business eagerness to learn. administration. Before graduating, she had When the time came for college, Teresa lined up an incredible position with Microsoft , managed to save up enough money to come having been selected for a two-year program to the United States to attend that would enable her to a University. He sister had continue working for Microsoft Opening doors married and moved to Utah, so as a soft ware engineer. Th is like this is one it seemed like a natural place to opportunity is a dream come of the primary fi nd a school. While working true for Teresa, as Microsoft to pay her way through school, was one of the companies she goals of the Teresa was briefl y enrolled at most wished to work for. LHM Education Utah Valley University before Teresa’s gratitude for the Foundation. spending a few years at Salt Lake diversity scholarship is hard Community College. to put into words. Having At these two schools, she was able to the scholarship has allowed her to graduate work multiple jobs, making enough money without debt and focus on her studies, but to stay out of debt and to provide for herself. most importantly, it allowed her the time to Still, she yearned for more and applied to the fi nd and cultivate the network that has given University of Utah, where she would be able to her an opportunity she never would have have more options but where the tuition was known about otherwise. signifi cantly higher. Opening doors like this is one of Still persevering, Teresa applied for a the primary goals of the LHM Diversity University of Utah Diversity Scholarship Scholarship as it continues to benefi t students provided by Gail Miller. When she won, she every year. ◆ LHMWSM.com 23