Crossing the Finish Line

“When I completed an associate’s degree and my family mentioned Shenandoah University as a possible next stop, I started looking at different programs there,” says Brooklynn Greenwade, a biology major graduating in December ’25. “Their pharmacy early assurance pathway got my attention because I wanted to become a pharmacist. My goal is to help people, so I thought, ‘That’s it!’”


Brooklynn excelled, earning a 3.9 GPA. But her life changed about a year ago.

“Last December, I was shocked to learn that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer. Despite her trying to shield me from the pain of knowing, I found out, and we hugged each other and cried.”

Brooklynn completed her spring semester, and during that time, her mother underwent radiation and chemotherapy, with all the associated challenges and expenses. Over the summer, as she was lining up the financing to pay for her final semester, Brooklynn discovered that her mother’s parent loan application had been declined.


“I was devastated,” says Brooklynn. “I didn’t know what to do. I called the school to see if someone there could help me find the money I needed to pay for my final semester of school. I didn’t have the resources to finish.”


Without funding, Brooklynn was preparing to find a job, sit out a semester, and save money. On top of that, she’d have to figure out how to take out another loan or get on a payment plan. But that didn’t happen. In late July, Shenandoah’s financial aid director emailed Brooklynn: “I need to talk to you.”


“I was like, ‘Oh Lord, what now?’” says Brooklynn. “I was a little scared. But when I spoke with her, she told me I had received money from the VFIC’s Home Stretch Fund, and that would cover my bill. I was shocked, happy, sad. I was feeling all these emotions. When she ended the call, I started crying. I couldn’t believe it.”

Thanks to the Home Stretch Fund, Brooklynn is on schedule to complete her degree this semester.


“When I graduate in December, I’d like to go to Shenandoah’s School of Pharmacy,” says Brooklynn. “And I’d like to focus on oncology. I’ve always wanted to help others, and my experience has made me want to do that more than ever. I want to repay kindness with kindness.”