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Melenie Hernandez of Woodrow Wilson Early College High School has been awarded a prestigious national $25,000 college scholarship from the Horatio Alger Association.

The association is a nonprofit educational organization that honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have overcome adversity and supports promising young people to pursue their American Dream through higher education and technical scholarships, according to information from the organization

This honor celebrates Hernandez’s “exceptional perseverance and commitment to education despite facing significant personal challenges.”

The Horatio Alger Association awarded $2.6 million in undergraduate need-based scholarships to outstanding students though its national scholarship program.

The Horatio Alger Association was established in 1947 to reinforce belief in the American Dream and inspire young people to strive for their highest potential. Since the establishment of its scholarship programs in 1984, it has become one of the largest privately funded, need-based scholarship providers in the United States. These scholarships serve as a powerful symbol of recognition of the Scholars’ character and of the belief that Horatio Alger Members place in their potential. Today, through the generosity of its Members, the Association continues supporting promising students and educating them about the economic and personal opportunities afforded them through the free-enterprise system. Over the past 40 years, the Association has awarded $265 million in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 37,000 deserving Scholars.