Student Impact: Maiya Felan

Students fall in love with Eastern Michigan in many different ways, whether it’s a campus visit, word of mouth, or the opportunities they find here. Presidential scholarship recipient Maiya Felan fell in love with the University through the scholarship competition process.

“When I went to the first round of the competition, I was still on the fence about EMU,” Maiya shared. “But, by the end of the day, I was absolutely in love with it!”

Eastern had sent Maiya a free application due to her outstanding GPA in high school. Originally, Maiya hadn’t planned on applying, but her mind quickly changed after getting a call saying she qualified for the Presidential scholarship. Without a full tuition and housing scholarship, Maiya may not have gotten the opportunity to go to college.

“After I left the second round of the competition, I felt so sick and worried that I wasn’t going to get it. This round is what made me realize how much I really wanted to go here!” Maiya explained. “When I got the scholarship, I felt at peace.”

To Maiya, EMU just made sense! The size was perfect, and she got the opportunity to be a part of the EMU Honors College. She had been accepted into prestigious universities, including the Ivy Leagues and University of Michigan, however, Eastern felt more like home. 

“Another reason I decided on EMU was the opportunity to be involved in the Black community here,” she said. “The minority communities are so active on campus, and I felt like I could really identify with them. All students have power here.”

Maiya is incredibly involved on campus with the Black community, the digital media production program, campus housing and EMU E-sports. One of her favorite things about EMU is that there is always something to do, and the community is so supportive. 

Students often come to college to find their place. Sometimes, students who struggle in high school are able to shine in college. Maiya is a firm believer that if you give someone the opportunity to succeed with a scholarship, they will excel at EMU. 

“Just because students may not have the numbers in high school doesn’t mean that they won’t excel in college,” Maiya explained. “Many students are just scraping by financially, and a scholarship would give them an opportunity that they’ve never had before.”

For more information on the Presidential scholarship, please visit the Presidential Scholarship website. If you are interested in starting your own scholarship, please contact us at [email protected].