Scholarships provide more than financial aid—they open doors to transformative experiences and personal growth.
Zoe and Emilee Vecchio, a married couple, exemplify this impact.
Proud Murfreesboro natives and Blackman High School graduates, Zoe and Emilee exemplify the transformative power of education and perseverance. Now thriving as juniors at MTSU—Emilee pursuing a major in marketing at the Jones College of Business and Zoe ambitiously double majoring in photography and computer science, their success didn’t come without obstacles. Obstacles that would cement their desire to further their education.
“I grew up in Section 8 housing and know what it’s like to have a family struggling with addiction, incarceration, and mental health issues,” said Zoe. “But I always knew I couldn’t disregard my education. I always knew I had to succeed.”
Emilee was homebound during her eighth-grade year and part of her ninth due to health complications. She spent a great deal of her time doing homework from a hospital room when she needed a feeding tube or having surgical procedures.
“I kept up with all of my studies throughout those years, but it was a fight with the homebound system,” said Emilee. “The subjects that were harder for me to keep up with, like math and science, were the ones that kept me going. That’s when I got better at those subjects because I had boundless time with no direction, and I just threw myself into my studies.”
A Life-changing Encounter
Around this time Zoe and Emilee utilized CFMT scholarships and programs for pre-college experiences. Zoe was a three-time recipient of the Diane G. Lowe and John Gomez, IV Scholarship Fund through the CFMT. This fund specifically supports intellectually gifted students in grades 6 through 12 who reside in Rutherford, Cannon, DeKalb, or Wilson counties with financial needs. Through this scholarship, Zoe could attend the Vanderbilt Summer Academy Program.
“My first encounter with CFMT was through the Lowe Gomez fund, but they’ve helped me tremendously countless times,” said Zoe. “They helped me attend Vanderbilt Summer Academy which was life-changing, and even with smaller things my family wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford like ACT fees.”
The CFMT also offers a scholarship program, Tapping Individual Potential (TIP), for rising fifth through eighth-grade Metro Nashville public school students who have extraordinary talent, but who may not be able to explore their skills because of limited financial or other circumstances. The TIP program not only provided the opportunity to lessen financial burdens for extracurricular academic programs, but also created opportunities for deeper engagement, growth, and success.
While Emilee did not receive funding specifically from the CFMT for her pre-college programs, she participated in these programs thanks to other community scholarships similar to TIP and Lowe Gomez housed at the CFMT.
This support enabled her to attend the Duke TIP pre-college program.
“I think funding for pre-college programs is so important because it shows students that the world is bigger than the walls of your high school or middle school,” said Emilee. “If I didn’t get to meet a very diverse range of people and study the things that my school wasn’t able to offer, I don’t know who I’d be now or if I would have had the motivation to keep reaching higher.”
Emilee would go on to receive the Archie Hartwell Nash Memorial Scholarship from CFMT to support her educational journey at Middle Tennessee State University. Between the pair, Zoe and Emilee received eight scholarships held here at the Community Foundation, assisting them in achieving their college dreams.
“Scholarships showed me that I could be a multifaceted person,” said Zoe. “I could study my art and my craft while also majoring in computer science. It helped me realize I don’t have to just choose one thing and there are so many opportunities out there if I’m just willing to look.”
Kelly Pietkiewicz
Scholarship Coordinator
Interested in starting or applying for a scholarship?
Do you want to make a life-changing impact on a student or learn more about the CFMT Scholarship application process? Contact Kelly Pietkiewicz, our Scholarship Coordinator, to learn more.
