Scholarship Spotlight: Claudiani Etienne

It’s been a tearful college journey for Claudiani Etienne, but for all the right reasons. Etienne and her mother, Neckline, didn’t know if it would be possible for her to afford college even though she wanted to be the first in her family to graduate with a college degree. With scholarship assistance from the Leon N. Weiner Education Foundation, she will graduate in 2024 without any debt. 

“My mother was struggling and wanted to make an education possible for me, but she didn’t know how to make it happen,” said Etienne. “When she learned about the scholarship applications, and I applied, it was a sense of relief for both of us knowing that the burden would not fall on me for years to come.” 

Etienne was a creative child from the start, so when she applied to Delaware Technical Community College, it was only natural for her to pursue a career in graphic design. She soon learned that she loved the business side of marketing, too, as she continued to take her classes and transferred to Wilmington University. She hopes to work for an advertising company after graduation. “I want to work with a lot of creative people and could see myself in Washington, DC, or New York.” 

Just the idea of college was something she didn’t think they could afford, but her mother’s encouragement and dedication made it possible. “My mother never finished college, so it was exciting for her to see me have this opportunity,” Etienne said. She is now graduating debt-free and her mother just fulfilled her long-term dream of buying a home.

“I didn’t know what it meant to go to college at first,” she said. “In fact, I had sticker shock with the cost of books and an education.” While living in Commerce Square in Dover, Delaware, her mother learned about scholarship opportunities, so Etienne could make her dreams come true without the stress of paying for an education. 

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity that someone is fighting and rooting for me,” Etienne said. “They didn’t have to pick me, but they did. It brings tears to my eyes.”