Springfield mom creates local scholarship business after helping her daughter

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - One local mom has used her daughter’s successful scholarship winnings as inspiration to build her own scholarship business. Rising college freshman and Springfield native Elizabeth Mickens received $1 million in scholarships, including our 2023 Ray Hershel Scholarship. All of that money will help cover finances for her next four years at Bard College in New York.

“I’ve been working hard in the community in order to make myself, I wouldn’t say stand out, but be able to be my best to my own ability,” Mickens said.

She hopes that her classmates and fellow students are striving to follow in her path.

“I think all students should apply to scholarships because America makes you pay a lot of money for tuition and school and I think everyone should have the opportunity to support themselves, especially since a lot of students don’t have the money to find higher education,” Mickens added.

A major factor in Elizabeth’s scholarship success is her mother, Laverne Mickens. In fact, the hunt for money inspired Laverne to create her own business. Across social media, she’s known as the “Scholarship College Mama.” The business’ mission is to provide college students with financial help. Laverne is already seeing success and she told Western Mass News she’s helping kids nationwide.

“I launched officially July 7 and since then, I’ve made my Tiktoks. I blew up there I’ve gotten 200 to 300 emails, a couple leads. I have seven solid clients now, a couple kids in Springfield. I’m helping a young lady in Atlanta, I’m helping someone in Denver, Colorado. I’m helping some students in Philly also, so the business is getting going,” the mother of five explained.

Laverne, a teacher, said she started looking for scholarships over 10 years ago when her first born was headed off to college. Since then, college tuition has risen and left her looking for funds for her daughter, Elizabeth. Mickens said, “it’s more expensive, definitely more involved. Hampshire College, at the time, was $50,000. College now is like $70,000 to $80,000. The common app has a lot more parts. There’s five or six prompts the kids have to answer. It can very stressful.”

Laverne got to work. She told us there are a lot of scholarships out there that many people have not even heard about.

“If you’re left-handed, there’s a scholarship for that. If you’re from Nevada, there’s a scholarship for that. If you like to dance, if you like knitting, there’s a scholarship for everything under the sun. If I can help you, I certainly will try. Get scholarships, college is expensive, but important,” Mickens explained.

As her business and her daughter take off, she hopes to simply make a difference.

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