Recent Lone Star College-University Park (LSC-University Park) graduate Isabella Hearn is celebrating a life-changing accomplishment after receiving over $600,000 in college scholarship awards. Hearn credits LSC-University Park’s affiliation with iSchool High with helping her to overcome adversity to achieve her education goals.

Hearn, one of the many students from LSC-University Park who earned their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously this spring, says she was offered over $630,000 from 11 universities including the University of San Francisco, Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Texas State University. Hearn plans to attend Johnson & Wales University where she was awarded an $80,000 Presidential Academic Scholarship.

While Hearn is now reaping the benefits of her hard work and dedication, it hasn’t always been easy. Like many other community college students, she faced an immense amount of hardship in a short period of time. During the time she was attending classes at LSC-University Park, Hearn faced devastation when her family lost everything, including their cat, in a massive house fire. It was a challenge, but with the help of her friends and faculty members at iSchool High and LSC-University Park, Hearn was able to stay on the right track.

“I felt like I was emotionally at ground zero after the fire,” Hearn said. “With the compassion and support of my teachers at iSchool and my professors at LSC-University Park, I was able to process my emotions and recover, while still staying on pace in my classes.”

It wasn’t long before Hearn and her family faced another blow. Less than a year after the fire, Hearn’s father, who had recently gone back to college to get his bachelors degree, was laid off from his job. It was during this turmoil that Hearn realized she would have to be financially independent when it came to college, so she started researching scholarship opportunities.

“I knew my parents were not going to be able to help me pay for college,” Hearn said. “Luckily, my mom has always encouraged me to investigate scholarship opportunities.”

“What Isabella has accomplished during her time at LSC-University Park is remarkable,” said Dr. Shah Ardalan, LSC-University Park president. “The core values of our college revolve around providing efficient and meaningful services to all students. Thanks to our competent and compassionate faculty and staff, students like Isabella are able to take advantage of many different opportunities without the fear of financial distress.”

Hearn shared that the values and skills instilled in her during her time at LSC-University Park are what helped her to overcome adversity and thrive academically and emotionally.

“My teachers at iSchool High and LSC-University Park helped me succeed in so many ways,” said Hearn. “I always felt like they pushed me to do my best and were always supportive during all the crazy experiences that come with high school. I never felt bad about making mistakes, and my teachers always helped me to learn from my mistakes rather than be self-critical about them. Due to the guidance and support given by my teachers I was able to successfully complete my goal of graduating a semester early!”

iSchool High is a public charter school that is open to all students in the greater Houston area. The school has an affiliation with Lone Star College that allows the blending of high school and college into one educational experience, giving students the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and up to two years of college credit, completely free of cost. The program combines academic rigor, with the opportunity for students to save time and money. iSchool High is just one example of LSC-University Park’s “one location, many opportunities” mindset.

Hearn knew from the sixth grade that she would attend and graduate from iSchool High at LSC-University Park. When a flyer from the school was mailed to her home for her older sister, Hearn thought the fast-paced and intensive academic structure was what she was looking for in an educational institution and wanted to attend. Now, Hearn plans on studying psychology with a concentration in substance abuse. After receiving her bachelor's degree, she hopes to continue her education by attending medical or law school to earn her doctoral degree.

To learn more about the opportunities available at LSC-University Park, visit LoneStar.edu/UP. For more information about the dual credit program, visit LoneStar.edu/DualCredit.