CLEVELAND – Finishing college for students who didn't think they'd ever attend is a major accomplishment.

What You Need To Know

  • Gary Thompson, III attends Cleveland State University

  • Thompson is a Say Yes scholarship recipient

  • The third-year psychology major plans to work in human resources when he finishes

That's especially true for third-year student, Gary Thompson, III. For Thompson, college was never really an option in his mind.

It's not that he didn't want to go. It's just that “I’m not financially stable with my family and all,” Thompson explained. Thompson's perspective changed in 2019 after the Say Yes Cleveland Program launched.

Covering his tuition at Cleveland State University, Thompson said, “Being able to have that pay for me, that really changed the game for me. That made me want to graduate, get my bachelor's degree, and eventually get my master's.”

Remembering the day his family dropped him off at school, where he'd be staying for the next four years, Thompson said he was nervous and scared, but he said his family assured him he would be OK and that he would do well.

He said it took him a little bit to adjust and to keep pace with the demands of college life in the classroom, but after getting support, he was able to get on track. Since he's been at school, the psychology major's learned as much as he could about money and investments.

He's even taken it upon himself to help his peers learn about too through his own YouTube channel. It's just one of the ways he's paying it forward while in college.

As he works his way through, Thompson said, he’ll be the first in his family to graduate with a four-year degree. It's a reality he couldn’t envision until the Say Yes program came along.

“I expected to work some job and try to help my family that way," he said.

Now, he's hoping to graduate early in 2022. The 20-year-old said when he finishes school, he wants to work in human resources to help businesses grow. 

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