Resilience Scholarship Award

Each year, the Resilience Scholarship Award recognizes students who’ve turned personal trials into powerful motivators, proving that strength is often born from the most difficult circumstances. This year, we’re honored to celebrate two incredibly remarkable individuals whose stories remind us of the courage it takes to persevere, the grace required to grow, and the determination needed to rise — again and again.

Meet Donavon Thomas

Our first recipient, Donavon Thomas, turned profound loss into hard-earned triumph. His father was incarcerated for most of Donavon’s life, which greatly impacted him from a young age. Years later they began rebuilding their relationship, only for his father to be diagnosed soon thereafter with a rare-but-fatal muscle disease. After losing him shortly after, Donavon isolated himself and struggled academically. It was his mother who inspired the healing he needed by encouraging him to stay on campus, re-engage with his community and rediscover his voice through art. Donavon’s resilience led to a wave of achievements: spots on both the President’s List and the Dean’s List, first place in the Student Art Exhibition, recognition from the Honors College, and multiple Certificate of Excellence awards. Now entering his final year at the University of West Georgia, he carries with him a renewed sense of purpose and an unshakeable belief in what he’s capable of.

Meet Rishi Dhanasekaran

Our second recipient is Rishi Dhanasekaran. Rishi’s strength has been forged through years of caring for his mother, whose health began deteriorating in 2016 after a devastating car crash, followed by a brain tumor diagnosis and, ultimately, ALS — a terminal, degenerative disease that left her completely paralyzed and dependent on full-time care. Despite the emotional and physical toll, Rishi stepped into a caregiver role at a young age while continuing to excel academically and remain active in extra-curriculars. His resilience was further tested when his father lost his job, making Rishi’s support even more crucial at home. Yet through it all he remained focused and hopeful, drawing inspiration from his mother’s strength; he aspires to study biomedical engineering and attend medical school to help find a cure for ALS. His resilience isn’t just about enduring — it’s about transforming pain into purpose and using that purpose to build a better future for all.