At age 16, Johana Guci moved 5,000 miles with their parents and younger brother from the southwestern banks of Lake Ohrid in Pogradec, Albania, to the southern shore of Lake Erie in Lakewood, Ohio.
Communist takeover of their home country after World War II stranded two generations of Johanas family in Albania, even though their great-great-grandparents had already immigrated to the United States in the 1920s.
Though diplomatic relations with the U.S. were reestablished after the 1991 collapse of Albanias communist regime, the family reunification process between the countries was slow. Johanas family remained split across continents until 2018, when their move to Ohio brought them within driving distance of Rochester, New York, where Johanas great-great-grandparents had settled nearly a century earlier.
Today, Johana is a third-year biochemistry major at 窪蹋勛圖厙, preparing for a career in medicine and research. They knew they wanted to stay in Ohio for college and that 窪蹋勛圖厙 was "by far the best option." But the tuition price was a concern.
Then I got the financial aid package with scholarships that cover a large portion of my tuition, they said. I was so relieved. I wouldnt have been able to attend 窪蹋勛圖厙 if not for these scholarships.
Johana is taking advantage of every opportunity while at 窪蹋勛圖厙, from conducting research and attending leadership conferences to holding a work-study job and participating in more than a dozen different clubs and volunteer groups, both on and off campus.
Johana is on the executive board of the Residence Hall Association and is public relations officer for both the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Undergraduate Biochemistry Society and the Physical Resource Center, which provides free school supplies and clothing for students.
And, with the start of junior year in the fall, Johana will become executive president of the Mortar Boarda prestigious honors society normally reserved for exemplary college seniors.
When not in the lab or leading a new club, Johana can be found enjoying the museums in University Circle or eating in Little Italy with friends.
The scholarships I received made it possible for me to come to 窪蹋勛圖厙 and to utilize all of these resources to excel, grow and advance in my field, said Johana. I may not have had these opportunities elsewhere, and Im so grateful to scholarship donors for helping me pursue all of these things that I love.