Our Story
We started this scholarship, as two ASU alumni, who were by no means academically exceptional, but we worked hard and had fun along the way.
In college, Ryan was on the 6-year plan. He slung records at Eastside Records and played music in various bands.
I spend my days in an office and fighting rush hour traffic to attend evening classes where I embarrassingly often nodded off.
We both attended public high schools in Arizona and Ryan barely graduates if not for a kind math teacher who gives him a D instead of an F.
During high school, rather than rack up extracurriculars and brush up our college applications, I work in various retail and restaurant jobs, while Ryan plays music, tours in bands, and makes records on his own record label.
After college, we begin working full-time before deciding to return to ASU to pursue our MBAs. We find ourselves juggling work and going to school full-time again.
Despite this mediocre start, we are now both executives at our organizations and look back fondly at our time spent during our college years. We are extremely grateful for the opportunities provided to us by our education and thankful to have been able to off our student loans.
Upon reflection, with some additional financial support - we could have focused on our studies more. This excellent article by professor and author, Scott Galloway, talks about how society used to give remarkable opportunities to unremarkable kids and young adults.
There are countless opportunities for overachievers in this world. The Gritty Scholarship focuses on students who are working and going to school full time. There is a GPA maximum (yes, you read that correctly) of 3.3.
Join us in providing remarkable opportunities to the underdogs.
