Thank you to all applicants who submitted their essays. Find out more about our selected scholarship winners below.
2024 Against All Odds Scholarship Winner: Parker Buchanan
Congratulations to Parker Buchanan on winning our 2024 Against All Odds Scholarship! Parker is a first-year Mathematics major and Economics minor from Nashville, Tennessee, attending Spelman College. Your passion for learning, coupled with your love for reading and outdoor adventures, embodies the spirit of resilience and determination. Your achievements are a source of pride and inspiration for your community and beyond.
“My name is Parker Buchanan, a first year Mathematics major and economics minor from Nashville Tennessee and I attend the illustrious Spelman College! In my free time I enjoy reading books and going on hikes with my friends and family.
I am beyond grateful to be rewarded the Against All Odds 2024 Scholarship and with this opportunity I will be able to lessen the financial burden and expenses that comes with being a college student. Being chosen for this scholarship is so rewarding because I was extremely passionate about this years’ prompt, and I hope that the obstacles that I have faced as mentioned in my application inspire someone else to persevere through adversity.”
2023 Against All Odds Scholarship Winner: Patricia “Tricia” Blackwood
Congratulations to Tricia Blackwood on winning our 2023 Against All Odds Scholarship! Please see below for Tricia’s reaction to earning this scholarship.
“My name is Tricia B., and I am a sophomore at Limestone University in my hometown, Gaffney, SC. I am an English major with hopes of graduating in 2026 and pursuing a career as a secondary English teacher or school librarian. Alongside my career, my biggest goal for my future is to become a published author, as writing and reading have always been my two biggest hobbies.
I am so incredibly excited and grateful to be chosen as the 2023 recipient of the Against All Odds Scholarship. I cannot express my gratitude enough to Adams & Bischoff. This scholarship will make my sophomore year go so much smoother, as I don’t have to worry as much on book costs and other expenses. I lost my dad to COVID-19 my junior year of high school, and ever since, my mom and I took a huge cut of income. My mom does everything she can to provide for me, but scholarships like this make everything so much easier. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be the recipient of the Against All Odds Scholarship. Thank you!”
2022 Against All Odds Scholarship Winner: Bridget Craig
Congratulations to Bridget Craig on winning our 2022 Against All Odds Scholarship! We are excited to see how she does in her future endeavors!
“I am honored to have been accepted as the winner of the Adams & Bischoff Against All Odds Scholarship. When I found out that I had won, I was overwhelmed with joy. I immediately called my mom to tell her, and we were both jumping up and down with excitement. I am truly grateful that I was selected for this scholarship. I grew up in a low income household with a single mother. We went without many things, but my mother always made sure we had what we needed. As the oldest child, I worked hard in my academics and extracurricular activities to set a positive example for my younger siblings. It was really import to my mother and I that I went to college. This scholarship award will truly help to mitigate the financial stress that college will bring. This scholarship, in particular, really meant so much to me because of all I have overcome, through hard work and dedication, and against all odds.
I will be attending the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus. I plan to major in Biology with a focus on marine sciences. I hope to one day focus on the rehabilitation of marine animals, and giving them a second chance!”
2021 Against All Odds Scholarship Winner: Logan Grove
Congratulations to Logan Grove for being named our 2021 Against All Odds Scholarship winner! Our firm is excited to support Logan in his continued education with this $1000 scholarship.
“I am honored to have been accepted as the winner of the Adams & Bischoff Against All Odds Scholarship. When I opened the email saying that I had won, I couldn’t believe it. I had to read it over twice just to make sure. I am so thankful that I have been given this amazing opportunity. My parents have worked hard to support me in my education, and this scholarship prize will help alleviate some of the financial stress that college will bring. It is also an opportunity for me to demonstrate to my family and foster siblings that if you work hard to achieve a goal, you can overcome anything, against all odds.
While I have not yet committed to a particular school, I plan on attending a university to study the sciences. I am excited about the prospect of being able to pursue research and education for the next four years. I have a particular interest in physics and hope to be able to pursue a career in this field, possibly becoming a teacher. In the meantime, I plan to continue to help others through the service projects I am involved in and being a positive role model to my foster siblings.”
2019-2020 Winner: Crystal Richardson
Crystal was born into a lower middle-class family. There were many times in her young life where her family struggled with money, but somehow there was always just enough. When it came time for college, there was not enough money to go to a four-year university, so the dreams were on hold.
In the gap between school, she worked, had a family, overcame domestic violence and raised three sons alone. She now has two grown sons and one in highschool. When the younger two were old enough, Crystal went back to school herself. Within two years she obtained her bachelors in Psychology with a 3.47 GPA in 2017 from the University of Phoenix, and is currently working towards her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling at the University of Phoenix where she is currently holding a 3.86 GPA in the Master’s program. She has also been accepted to two honor societies: The National Society of Leadership and Success and the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Crystal has always tried to inspire her children to “never give up”. Her short-term goal is to counsel families surviving domestic violence, but her long-term goal is to create a transitional housing system in her area, and in the area her sons were born, with intake source transferring from the emergency shelters to give families that are trying to survive more time to obtain their needs and help the families create a firm foundation before moving out on their own. Thus, giving the family more opportunity to move forward together without unnecessary, secondary victimization.
Reaction Statement: “I am grateful and thrilled to have been awarded the Against All Odds Scholarship. I have applied for many scholarships, but this is my first awarded, as competition for scholarship is fierce, and some scholarships have age limitations, education level limitations, and even limitations by degree programs. I am grateful to have found this scholarship through the University of Phoenix Scholarship links. Thank you Adams & Bischoff for naming me the winner of your Against All Odds” scholarship”
A Word From Adams & Bischoff: We hope this scholarship will make it a bit easier to achieve all your goals. We look forward to all that you will achieve and are honored that you applied for our scholarship and trusted us with your story.
Learn More About The Against All Odds Scholarship
Adams & Bischoff, LLC started the Against All Odds Scholarship to help students with the burden of paying for college while giving these students the chance to share their story of overcoming challenges when their chances of success were low.
As criminal attorneys, we know how hard it can be to face overwhelming challenges when the odds are against you. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to overcome some obstacles in life, whether that be getting through school or fighting a case in court. Through this scholarship, our team is able to support students financially while giving them an opportunity to share their struggles and their triumphs. To learn more about this scholarship, visit our Against All Odds Scholarship page.