Attending: The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
Award Use: Tuition
Travel Stipend Use: Passport fees for school-related Tour of France trip

Personal and familial challenges helped Qyideera develop a firm inner compass and a strong sense of what she values, who she is, and what she wants to be. What that is is a chef.

Qyideera's school years involved a series of events leading to a loss of trust and freedom and a wealth of self-awareness and discipline. It was during this time Qyideera realized she was on a path to be someone she didn't want to be. So, she changed course.

Qyideera matriculated from a home school environment to Frankford High School, where she quietly but determinedly achieved honor roll, enrolled in AP courses, and served as a mentor with Frankford's Group Peer Connection. The Group Peer Connection is a program of the Center for Supportive Schools that matches selected high school juniors and seniors as mentors to incoming first-year students.

Sometime during this period, Qyideera discovered her love of cooking. This love led her to enroll in The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia.