It’s been five years since Amber Quinney received the first WFF Scholarship Award, and she keeps the
spirit of that award alive every day. My interview with Amber was inspiring. After hearing about her
journey, I believe Amber’s story must be told and remembered..
If you don’t know Amber’s story, let me give you a brief synopsis. It blew me away. Amber shared her story about how she struggled to find money for school, similar to WFF co-founder LaShelle Williams-Franklin. Having straight A’s in all her classes, Amber asked: “why and how can this happen to someone
with these grades. The admissions office told her to drop out of school because she did not have the
money to finish. It was around this time that the William Franklin Foundation was founded and began
offering scholarships, and Amber’s journey to graduation began.
Amber received the WFF scholarship in 2015. But it was not the only scholarship she received. Amber’s success with WFF led to her applying for and raising more than $50,000 in scholarships, enough money to ensure that she would graduate. And Amber did just that, graduating with honors in 2018 from Canisius College.
“I help students defeat financial adversity for a chance to graduate.”
Amber Quinney -The Scholarship Queen™
I asked Amber “What was your best experience while you have been on this journey?” She replied after thinking about all her achievements, “Graduation.”
As we ended our talk, I asked Amber a series of questions about her journey receiving the WFF Scholarship and these were her responses:
Q: What was your best experience while you have been on this journey?
A: Graduation
Q: What advice would you give to up and coming WFF Scholars?
A: 1) Time is your most valuable resource. Spend less time on social media and invest more time in self-development. 2) Check out at least 1 book every semester from your campus library. 3) Stay encouraged and know that your dreams are worth fighting for. Lean on your WFF family in prosperous times and challenging ones, too.
Q: What activities are you involved in now?
A: I’ve always loved pageantry and I currently participate in pageants programs in my area. This summer I competed in the @Miss Buffalo Wing Pageant during the @National Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY which attracted more than 250,000 people from across the world. I won the pageant, becoming the 2019 Miss Buffalo Wing and winning a scholarship award.
Additionally, I am a board member of the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship Alumni Network. The
Prosperity Fellowship is a prestigious scholarship program for entrepreneurial minded students that
awards up to $25,000 in scholarship dollars plus exclusive networking and career-building opportunities.
I was selected to be a fellow twice while studying at Canisius College and I currently serve as the Vice
President of the Alumni Network. Lastly, I volunteer my time to serve on the interview panel for
selecting the next cohort of fellows and scholarship recipients of the Prosperity Fellowship.
Q: What is the quote that you want to be known for?
A: Your gift is always in demand. Use it every day in every way. Leave your legacy everywhere you go.
Q: Running your own business now what gives you satisfaction about it every day?
A: Business ownership is an excellent path for building sustainable wealth. Establishing a business straight out of college is liberating and daunting at the same time. The everyday practice is extremely difficult and often times discouraging but what I enjoy most is living by my own values, pursing work that is meaningful to me, optimizing and monetizing my gifts, leading a legacy and making a positive difference in people’s lives.
Q: What are your goals for the next 5 years?
Amber is now known as “The Scholarship Queen™(Award-Winning Scholarship Coach and TEDx Speaker)”
The scholarship queen is rightfully characterized! Below are a few scholarships received. Since receiving the WFF Scholarship she earned more than $50,000 in additional scholarships including the following:
- The Unlimited Possibilities for Overcoming Poverty (“UPOP”) Scholarship Award
- The S&J Foundation (Inaugural Scholarship Recipient) Scholarship Award
- The National Black MBA Association (DC Chapter) Undergraduate Scholarship Award
- The Western New York Prosperity Fellowship (2x scholarship recipient)
- The GEICO Achievement Award
- The Buffalo/Niagara Sales and Marketing Collegiate Award
- The Raichle Pre-Law Scholarship Award
- The Miss Buffalo Wing Scholarship Award
- The National Black MBA Association (DC Association) Debt Relief Scholarship Award.
