“Keep Going”: How a Scholarship Helped Asya Crisp Chart a New Path Forward

For many students, the journey to college is paved with uncertainty — not just about where they’ll go, but how they’ll afford to get there. For Asya Crisp, a first-generation college student, the path to higher education wasn’t always clear. But with determination, community support and a scholarship through Foundation For The Carolinas, she’s found her footing and a renewed sense of purpose.

“College was my only way out,” Asya said. “There weren’t many opportunities for me at home. Jobs weren’t hiring. I knew I had to try something different than my peers to reach my goals.”

Now a rising sophomore at UNC Charlotte majoring in marketing with a minor in communications, Asya just wrapped up her first year of college — earning a spot on the Dean’s List and building a resume of community involvement that already sets her apart. She’s a member of Slam Charlotte, a club focused on connecting students with professionals in the sports industry and has already held an internship with A Sign of the Times, where she helped set up cameras, lighting, podcasts and events.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping others,” she said. “Being involved in marketing and communications is my way of advocating — for myself and others.”

Her early start in marketing wasn’t just a career move — it was an act of self-determination. Without many mentors to guide her through college applications or career exploration, she leaned into programs like TRIO, a federal outreach and student services program, at her high school, where an advisor encouraged her to apply for scholarships managed by Foundation for The Carolinas. That decision paid off.

In 2023, Asya was awarded a scholarship through the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Scholarship Initiative Fund, one of more than 150 scholarships managed by FFTC. Last year alone, the Foundation awarded a record 1,051 scholarships totaling $3.1 million, thanks to the generosity of local families, businesses and organizations.

“When I found out I received the scholarship, I was so excited — and so was my mom,” Asya shared. “It really lifted a burden off our shoulders. It came at a time when we needed support and a little extra love.”

For Asya, the scholarship is more than just financial aid — it’s a reminder of everything she’s overcome and the community that continues to cheer her on.

“It showed me the importance of community — the people in Charlotte who invest in you, believe in you, and pour into your future,” she said. “It’s inspired me to do the same.”

She dreams of using her marketing skills to create educational workshops for older generations, teaching digital literacy and workplace technology — from using email to navigating Wi-Fi and Microsoft tools.

“There are people who get left behind because technology changes so quickly,” she said. “I want to create programs that help people of all ages grow and feel empowered.”

While Asya’s college journey hasn’t always been traditional, she’s come to embrace it. Her freshman year was filled with moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but she learned to ground herself with help from her mom and older sister, who’s also in college.

“There were times when I felt like I didn’t belong, like everyone around me had it all figured out,” she admitted. “But I realized that I’m here to learn — and it’s okay to show up as myself. I might be walking a different path, but I know I’m walking toward something great.”

Asya credits mentors like Mrs. Toni — a leader she met through her internship at A Sign of the Times — for modeling strength, authenticity and generosity. “She taught me how to be a boss with a genuine heart. She’s always ten steps ahead and always willing to help.”

When asked what advice she would give to other students chasing their dreams, Asya doesn’t hesitate: “Keep going. I know it sounds simple, but you have to keep going — even when it’s hard, even when it feels like nothing is working. It does get better. Your goals are worth chasing.”

She wears a bracelet with that very phrase, “Keep going,” a daily reminder of where she’s been and where she’s headed.

Asya’s story is one of resilience, hope and the transformative power of opportunity. And thanks to FFTC’s scholarship program — and the donors who make it possible — students like Asya can focus less on the burden of paying for school and more on becoming the leaders our communities need.

For more information on scholarships at FFTC, visit fftc.org/scholarships.