“The scholarship allows me to focus on my academics and not have to worry as much about how I am going to afford the next semester’s tuition.”

The first time Brianna Fitzpatrick set foot on Carleton College’s campus she was a member of the Carleton Liberal Arts Experience, a summer program designed for African- American high school sophomores from around the country. The program was a chance for Fitzpatrick to experience a hands-on learning environment, which was something she continued to seek out when she was deciding where to go for college. In the end she decided on returning to Carleton.

Carleton’s financial aid office helped Fitzpatrick and her family think through how college could be affordable. “The Meslow First Generation Scholarship was important to figuring out how we were going to pay for college,” Fitzpatrick said. “The scholarship allows me to focus on my academics and not have to worry as much about how I am going to afford the next semester’s tuition.”

In her free time Fitzpatrick is a TRIO peer leader, which involves helping first-year students transition into college. She is also the cofounder of the Jazz Contemporary Dance Company and a member of the French Council, where she helps coordinate events on campus.

Her favorite part of Carleton is the community. “Everyone is so kind and thoughtful from the students to the professors,” Fitzpatrick said. “I really like the small class sizes, I’ve been able to make deep connections here.”

Fitzpatrick is also a French minor and over winter break she will be going to Senegal on her second study abroad trip. She is hoping it’s as meaningful as her trip to France where she stayed after the term living and working in Paris.