Whitley Law Firm's 2021 Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship rewards local student

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm.

In 2021, students had to deal with an unusual year of schooling. After getting through remote learning in the 2020 academic year, a number of schools returned to in-person learning during the 2021 fall semester.

Still, the challenges of the pandemic left many students feeling under prepared and mentally drained for the new school year. In order to support students and recognize the perseverance they've shown, Raleigh's Whitley Law Firm founded the Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship.

"The Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship was created to do our part in helping the next generation of North Carolinians continue their education," said Ben Whitley, managing partner of the Whitley Law Firm. "Our team understands how tough the Coronavirus pandemic has been on many students. Whether students had to transition to taking classes online or were unable to pay for classes because they lost their job, we know many students have had to overcome new obstacles in order to keep pursuing their goals."

In order to apply for the $1,000 scholarships, students are required to be currently enrolled or about to attend an accredited community college, undergraduate or graduate program within the United States. They also must have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The application itself includes a resume, a transcript and a 1,000-word essay in response to a prompt. This year, the prompt was: how were you impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how did you adjust in order to pursue your goals?

This year's scholarship recipient was Chenoah Summerlin-Long, a senior from Chapel Hill who is intimately familiar with the academic and personal obstacles that COVID-19 introduced.

"When virtual learning started, I was in my junior year of high school. There was a lot of stuff to keep up with online, and I didn't realize how much I over-challenged myself with my course load. Being home alone all day with that workload was a struggle." said Summerlin-Long.

Summerlin-Long's scholarship essay focused on the impact that COVID-19 had on her and how remote learning played into those struggles.

Now, she looks back on the last year as being critical in overcoming personal obstacles.

"I had a lot of time for reflection, and I think it really matured me," said Summerlin-Long. "Even though that was my obstacle, I feel much more confident now in my ability to handle challenges."

Looking ahead towards graduation, Summerlin-Long hopes to use the scholarship to attend one of her schools of choice, including Amherst College in Massachusetts, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Vermont.

Inspired by her experience and journey, Summerlin-Long plans to pursue a degree in psychology — supported in part with the financial aid from Whitley Law Firm.

"When I applied for the scholarship, I didn't really think it would amount to anything," said Summerlin-Long. "It's exciting to be picked, and I'm so thankful to Whitley Law Firm for appreciating my essay."

As an established local and family-owned law firm, Whitley Law Firm is passionate about serving the Triangle-area community in any way it can — whether that's representing clients in personal injury lawsuits or providing support for students to continue their education.

"As a business, we are a member of this community," said Whitley. "The Triangle is our home, and we believe in investing in its future."

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm.