Meet the 2024 Harvey Lincoln Student Scholars

The Harvey Lincoln Student Scholarship recognizes students attending ATD Network colleges who are committed to furthering their education despite facing significant educational, personal, and financial challenges. This year’s winners have shown perseverance and integrity, committing wholeheartedly to their own education while uplifting other students along the way.

We are excited to congratulate the award winners for 2024: Avwerosuoghene Etaghene of Houston Community College and Grace Henderson of Schenectady County Community College (SUNY). Each recipient will be awarded $3,000 in recognition of their persistence and commitment to their communities.

Avwerosuoghene Etaghene

Houston Community College

Born and raised in Nigeria, Avwerosuoghene (Ah-weh-ro-SWOR-je-nee) grew up in an environment where it was difficult to picture a future in computer science — a future she is actively pursuing now. Limited access to technology made her believe computer science was “an unattainable field reserved only for the wealthy,” and pervasive gender disparities suggested coding and engineering were better suited for men.

When Avwerosuoghene and her family moved to the United States, she encountered a whole new set of obstacles, including a new education system to navigate and a higher cost of living. She enrolled at Houston Community College (HCC) to earn credits toward a bachelor’s degree, where her thirst for knowledge and self-improvement have already driven her to take on roles from HCC Student Government Association president to Ion Ambassador and Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholar.

“I aim to exemplify how girls from disadvantaged backgrounds can defy expectations. By applying my skills, I hope to empower others facing the very barriers I once confronted.”
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After her first year of college, Avwerosuoghene participated in a selective research program focused on AI and language learning models (LLM) at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked many late nights debugging code but “loved every second of it.”

The hands-on experience increased not only her knowledge but also her confidence. “It was a milestone in my journey, propelling me toward a future where I hope to make meaningful contributions to the world of AI and LLM,” Avwerosuoghene said.

She believes resilience and determination have been key to her persistence — and success — in higher education. Determined to challenge stereotypes for herself and others who have had similar journeys, Avwerosuoghene aims to specialize in AI and machine learning, gaining skills with which she hopes to revolutionize health care and save lives.

“I know where I am going and every day I work hard to get to where I want to be. Until I achieve my goals of making a positive difference in the world, I will not stop fighting.”
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Grace Henderson

Schenectady County Community College (SUNY)

As a licensed practical nurse, Grace has served patients for 13 years in settings ranging from hospitals to prisons. She has also experienced situations throughout her life where she needed help and couldn’t get it: She is a single mother who has survived abusive relationships with family members and romantic partners.

A desire to do more for her community, and to be the advocate that she herself needed at her lowest moments, drove Grace to enroll in the human services program at SUNY Schenectady to become a social worker.

“I want to be able to provide the guidance and support to the disenfranchised and disaffected that I so desperately needed when I was young.”
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At SUNY Schenectady, she found not only a welcoming environment but also a source of opportunities and support. Grace is a student ambassador for the Education Opportunities Program (EOP), providing services to others that have been instrumental to her success as a student. In her role, she leads projects that give back to the community and shares her story at public events, helping others with similar backgrounds see that “the little girl from the most impoverished neighborhood can make it.”

Grace’s commitment to helping others shows in the action she takes outside of the classroom: Completing a project about the effect of homelessness on children led her to work for the Schenectady Community Action Program to help unhoused families find apartments.

“It is a blessing to be able to go back to communities and speak to kids and families who are just like me. I am a person who is dedicated to seeing people succeed in life and will help anyone get to where they want to be.”
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But above all, Grace’s priority is her son. Through significant challenges, she has remained determined to act as her son’s caregiver and role model. Services like the EOP and SUNY Schenectady’s food pantry have empowered her to provide more stability for her family than was previously possible, but Grace’s success is her own. “Being a single mother has given me the motivation and direction I needed to succeed in my studies,” she said.