Chris and Deatria Godley, both entrepreneurs, know first-hand the challenges that are presented to students who have limited financial resources and aspire to obtain a higher education.

Chris, while being raised on a farm by his grandparents in Washington, NC, was taught the value of hard work, respect and the importance and benefits of obtaining a college education. Although there were limited resources available in their household and neither of his grandparents completed high school, they instilled the importance of education in all eight of their children, including Chris.  Of their eight children, six have college degrees.

Deatria, along with her three sisters, was raised by a single mother in Cincinnati OH.  She also grew up learning the importance of higher learning and with the help of the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation’s annual scholarship award, she became a first-generation college graduate in her family.

Both Chris and Deatria’s experiences as young adults, working full-time jobs, while going to college further instilled in them their desire to be able to give back to students who faced similar challenges as they did.  Now they would like to create the opportunity to assist other underserved minority students to achieve their goals of obtaining a college education as well.

The Christopher O. and Deatria Scholarship Fund is awarded a minority student who is majoring in the STEAM field of science.