PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Greater Houston Black Chamber (GHBC) Foundation has been awarding achievement-based scholarships to Houston-area high school students for more than 40 years. These highly competitive scholarships are awarded based on an application, essay, academic performance and community involvement. Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) first-year student Kalli Mckelvey was one of the organization’s 11 recipients this year.
Kalli Mckelvey
“I am very grateful that they decided to choose me to receive this scholarship,” Mckelvey said. “This organization is known in my community for helping students like me, and to be chosen out of the many applicants, I am very appreciative.”
Mckelvey graduated from Klein High School in Houston and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology as part of the Class of 2025. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mckelvey had an internship with a physical therapy clinic, and she was able to shadow a physical therapist to learn more about career options in the field. That solidified her decision to study kinesiology at PVAMU.
“I’ve always said that I wanted to get a job helping people, and after doing my research on the different jobs I could get based on my interest, being a physical therapist seemed like the best fit for me,” she said.
Applying to PVAMU seemed a natural choice when she was exploring universities. Mckelvey was looking at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and she had heard good things about PVAMU and its programs. The Kinesiology Program at PVAMU offers a well-rounded curriculum in movement and wellness that provides a solid foundation for physical therapy careers.
Mckelvey encourages other students to reach out and apply for scholarships, regardless of whether they think they will win or not.
“Advice for students when applying for scholarships is to be genuine with your story and apply for as many as you can. You may not get all of them, but you never know what opportunity may come from it,” she said.
By Jocelyn Kerr
-PVAMU-