Lisa Lieu is in her third year at Loyola University Chicago, well on her way to becoming a nurse and fulfilling a dream that stretches back two generations.

Lisa’s mother wanted to be a nurse, too, but the Vietnam War kept her from fulfilling her plans. As a child, Lisa played with a doctor kit more than dolls and now proudly says she is fulfilling her mother’s dream as well as her own.

Lisa was a 2013 recipient of the U-46 Superintendent’s Scholarship. Beyond financials, the scholarship gave Lisa an important confidence boost at a time when she most needed it.

“As a first-generation student, I knew going off to a four-year university – especially Loyola – would be difficult,” Lisa said. “I was very unsure of myself and how I was even going to afford going to the school, but through getting that scholarship, I felt really supported.”

That first year was hard for Lisa, who struggled as a student of color on a predominantly white campus as well as a first-generation student surrounded by people for whom college was always expected. Great professors helped her stay on track, and the Superintendent’s Scholarship played a role.

“It (the scholarship) was something that reminded me that there were people who were supporting me and believed that I was capable of going off to a four-year university,” Lisa said.

With a bachelor’s degree in sight, Lisa hopes to work in a hospital for a few years and then return for her master’s degree.