Meet The 2024 Scholarship Winner
"Earning the All Things College Visionary Scholarship will help fund my educational pursuits, in addition to rewarding my unwavering commitment to improving the community around me. A key pillar in the mission of All Things College is serving marginalized communities through bridging the education gap between high school and higher education, and I am certain that I will continue to deliver impactful service in my college community and beyond.”
Ava Winn | The Kincaid School, Texas, GPA: 3.7/4.0
Ava plans to attend Spelman College to major in political science and minor in Spanish. After completing her undergraduate studies, she aims to pursue law and business schools and obtain a master's degree in public policy. Her long-term goal is to practice law in Texas and eventually become a political journalist, driven by her passion for advocacy and improving the lives of others, particularly within the African American community.
Upon graduation, she envisions continuing to serve her community by raising awareness about women's physical and mental health. In the summer of 2023, she led her Girl Scout Gold Award Project, Mind Over MATter, which focused on introducing women of all ages to yoga and meditation. Her project aimed to address the lack of wellness opportunities in communities of color, especially after the pandemic's impact on women’s mental and physical health. She and her team of 12 volunteers organized three free yoga and wellness sessions, including lessons from a licensed instructor and educational seminars led by a physician.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she also plans to obtain a yoga instructor license to offer free yoga classes on campus and to local underserved communities. She believes that mental and physical wellness are crucial for a purposeful life and is committed to broadening access to these resources.
Her passion for public policy and advocacy is further fueled by her experiences, including her enjoyment of AP Government and her continued study of Spanish. She hopes to leverage her language skills in her legal career to serve clients from diverse backgrounds.
Receiving the All Things College Visionary Scholarship would support her educational goals and recognize her dedication to community service. The scholarship's mission to bridge the education gap aligns with her commitment to impactful service in her college community and beyond.
Meet The Advisory Board
A visionary is someone who plans for the future with imagination and wisdom, driving innovation and inspiring change. In this spirit, our Founder, Gia Taijae Tejeda—an alumna of Spelman College and a trailblazer in education—announces the launch of the All Things College Visionary Scholarship. This scholarship is dedicated to empowering passionate students who are making a positive impact in their communities, helping them graduate debt-free and pursue their dreams of changing the world. We are also excited to present our amazing board of thought-provoking educational leaders who are committed to guiding and supporting the next generation of visionaries.
Gia Taijae, Founder
Award-winning entrepreneur Trelles Williams, better known as Lady Finance, is the CEO of Lady Finance and Financial Experts of America, a successful luxury Tax & Financial firm established in 2013. Her goal is to inform, educate, empower, motivate and train individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals in personal finances and wealth-building strategies. She is equipped with the tools to help you free from debt, attain your financial goals, become more successful with your finances, and achieve wealth for your future.
Lady Finance is known for her hands-on approach to real-world financial advice that can be applied to any business or individual situation. She is a credible partner for small business owners looking to achieve more.
Trelles Williams AKA Lady Finance
A non-profit leader, professional speaker, and consultant Martice Sutton, is a woman
who lives a life of passion and purpose. As the founder of Girls Going Global, a non-
profit organization dedicated to empowering girls to become global citizens and leaders,
and her non-profit consultancy, Martice inspires people to lead, serve, and make their
mark on the world.
She has been recognized for her remarkable work by the White House United State of
Woman as a Changemaker, The Travel Channel, Black Enterprise, Centric TV, Marie
Claire, and Black Enterprise.
Martice Sutton
Greg Karlton Sherman is an educator, realtor, husband and father of two. He has been an educator for the Cobb County School District for the last 13 years. He has worked with youth of all backgrounds in different capacities. He also worked with a non profit called Family Matters Consulting for 10 years were he mentored adopted teenagers in the Athens, GA area. Most recently he and his wife worked with a ministry called “One Day with God” that connects children of incarcerated parents with their parents for a full day of fun and meaningful activities inside the prison. He is also a realtor in the Metro-Atlanta area and has helped families all over atlanta achieve home ownership. He has a beautiful wife Lorelle Sherman, and two beautiful children Jayce and August.
Gregory Sherman
Jolene Render
Ms. Render is the daughter of Late Mrs. Josie S. Walls and the late Dea. Lonnie B. Walls, Sr. She was born and raised in Meriwether County. She is a 1985 graduate of Woodbury High
School, a 1989 Graduate of Morris Brown College, and she holds a master’s and specialist degree in education. She is a business education teacher, and she has been teaching for 32 years. She is
currently teaching at Hillgrove High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. Mrs. Render is the assistant Dance Team Coach, the Advisor of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America, National Business
Honor Society Adviser, Miss Grove Princess Pageant Coordinator, and she is one of the Work Based Learning Coordinators at Hillgrove High School. Teaching is a passion for her, and she
enjoys every aspect of it. Ms. Render is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Georgia Association of Educators, National Business Educators Association, and the
Georgia Association of Career and Technology Teachers.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family. She also owns and runs a small business that includes event planning (including weddings), motivational speaking, image
consulting, life coaching, a clothing boutique, and paparazzi jewelry, The name of her business is Divine Industries I.
Ms. Render has two beautiful children Jacinta Danielle Render and Darrel Joseph Render. She also has 2 beautiful grand furbabies. She is a member of Mt. Venus Baptist Church, in Gay.
GA and she serves on the Motherboard Ministry. Ms. Render also teaches outside of public education and serves as a teacher for the Young Adult Class at the Cane Creek Baptist Sunday School and Training Union Congress. She loves the Lord and she knows that
his grace and mercy is what sustains her every day of her life.