FOSSI: Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am Maurice Lewis, and I'm from Wilmington, Delaware. I recently graduated from Concord High School, and I am proud to be attending Morehouse College in the fall as the 2025 class. I will be majoring in engineering. I plan to become an electrical engineer. I enjoy running track, playing basketball, working out, and being a foreign exchange trader in my spare time.
A quote that I live by is by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?" My answer is to one day provide education, programs, and funding that will inspire the next Black engineers by learning that they too can pursue a career in engineering.
FOSSI: Why is receiving the FOSSI scholarship important for you?
Receiving the FOSSI scholarship is an honor, one that I will cherish. This scholarship will help offset the cost of attending the college of my dreams. The FOSSI scholarship will also show others that anything is possible, as I've been told by some that a student like me could not receive this scholarship.
Receiving this scholarship will pave the way for other families who dream about attending college but are burdened with the cost associated. Many rely on loans without considering a scholarship as an option for helping make the dream of a college education come true.
I speak of this scholarship so often because I am honored and also to show someone else that they can also become a scholarship recipient with hard work and dedication. Thank you again, FOSSI scholarship, for trusting me with this honor.
FOSSI: Who is a role model that has influenced you?
A role model that influenced my educational choices is tricky because it is challenging for me to choose one person. I have been fortunate to have a circle that encouraged me to succeed far before elementary school. Nevertheless, I must say my mother. My mom has always been my overall biggest supporter; she has influenced me to go to college and pushed me to attend a Historically Black College/University. She has always told us that we could go to any college as long as it was an HBCU.
It was vital to have her children educated in an environment where Black people were educated for centuries. She found every opportunity to expose my siblings and me to HBCU's by providing literature on history, virtual tours, paraphernalia around the house, and programs. So for me, attending an HBCU was not a choice it was a mandate one that I can happily agree is the best choice for me.
FOSSI: Share a few fun facts about yourself.
I am a fun guy who enjoys making my family laugh. In my spare time, I have become a foreign exchange trader. I enjoy investing and learning to build wealth outside of my regular job. Although I am in the beginning stages, I love sharing my hobbies with others.