For Madison Rembert, dreams of college were born and nurtured through the Magic City Classic. Watching the festivities around the country’s largest HBCU football game every year, Madison picked her team — Alabama State University – and dreamed of being a student there someday.
She had the grades for college. But having the money for college? That was a different story. Madison thought her involvement with the dance and flag team at Wenonah High School would be her ticket to a college degree. But as her high school career approached an end in 2023, she learned of a better path.
Birmingham Promise made it possible for Madison to work toward her dreams. She is now a junior at Alabama State, majoring in computer information systems and preparing for what she hopes is a career in cyber security.
“Without Birmingham Promise, I would have probably dropped out of college and gone home by now,” she said. “Tuition is high, and it keeps getting higher. I think at some point, it would have been too much.”
Going to college without going into debt is no small thing. But the program also provides Madison – a first-generation college student – much-needed shot of confidence that she has what she needs to complete her degree.
“For my family, there is only so much advice they can give me about how to make it through college. I hope to be that kind of role model for my little siblings. But for me, I had to break that barrier, and I had to go through it myself,” she said. “Birmingham Promise gives me that little hope that I can finish college.”
Her family and especially her mother offer great support, but she also gives plenty of credit to her Birmingham Promise success coach who also helps keep her on track.
“I have never had anyone who cared so much about my success, not even when I was in high school,” Madison said. “He has been just the most amazing person to me.”
That coach, Coach Glenn, checks in on her academic progress and her overall well-being. He encourages her to build on her strengths, like using her computer skills to get proficient in graphic design. And he finds opportunities for her to overcome weaknesses and fears, like public speaking.
Glenn also hosted meetings that put Madison in touch with other Birmingham Promise students at Alabama State, which provided welcome connections where she could get good college tips as well as emotional support.
“It helps just to talk to people who know what you’re going through,” she said. “As a junior, I’m now in a position to pay it forward, to help freshmen who are having problems with professors and advisors and classes.”
She encourages all students in Birmingham City Schools to apply for Birmingham Promise.
While there are other scholarships – and Madison applied for those, too – they came with higher hurdles like essays and videos. Birmingham Promise provides students a straightforward way to achieve their dreams, if they’re willing to do their part in the classroom.
“For me, academic barriers were never the problem. My GPA is very high,” she said. “Birmingham Promise is life-changing. It’s a very easy outlet to get into. If anyone wants to see what it’s about, I would say look at me and see what it has done for me.”
