Student Stories

People who have received scholarships while attending Houston Community College know firsthand how much a scholarship can help students complete their higher education.

Here are just a few of their stories:

"Getting a scholarship allowed me to concentrate on my education and finish my HCC degree in two years. I
graduated with the highest honors and was able to get the GPA I wanted to transfer to U of H."

Mona Meghani, University of Houston Senior
HCC Scholarship Recipient
Home: Houston

When Mona Meghani's parents decided to immigrate to the United States from Pakistan, they were eager for their two little girls to receive a better education. They settled with Mona and her younger sister, Sahar, in Fort Bend County, where the girls eventually attended Alief Elsik High School.

As her graduation date from Elsik neared, Mona had a decision to make. "Most kids were applying to four-year schools, but given my financial situation and my cultural background - my parents are very protective - I decided to go to HCC instead," Mona says. "HCC was more affordable and closer to home, and the support services were exceptional."

She also appreciated the diversity of the HCC campuses she attended in southwest and west Houston. "I have been living here for ten years," she says, "but as an immigrant there is always something to learn from others. The campuses had a small-town feel - everyone seemed to know everyone."

With the help of a George Foundation scholarship through the Houston Community College Foundation, Mona earned her associate degree in arts from HCC in 2005. She then transferred to the University of Houston as a finance major.

"Getting a scholarship allowed me to concentrate on my education and finish my HCC degree in two years," says Mona. "I graduated with the highest honors and was able to get the GPA I wanted (a 3.91) to transfer."

Meanwhile her sister Sahar was following in her footsteps. Also a George Foundation scholarship recipient, Sahar, like Mona, planned to earn her associate degree from HCC and transfer to U of H to complete a bachelor's degree.

"HCC gives you the building blocks to get to the university level," says Mona. "The faculty members don't just teach class—they strive to make students successful."

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