When Jahmiah Guillory entered his senior year at Pittsburgh Oliver High School with a 1.7 GPA, he knew his chances of going to college were slim. He had always planned to go to college, but he had lost focus during high school. He had to hold down a job to help support his family, and he was distracted by the lure of "the streets." As Jahmiah reflects on what took him down a road to low achievement he says, "In a culture where cool is king, opportunities to do right are less attractive, even though they are more beneficial. Doing right takes you down the right road and the streets rob you of a future. But the environment still makes it hard to choose right over wrong."

Several teachers at Oliver High School saw great potential in Jahmiah and continually told him that he had what it took to succeed. In the fall of 2008, Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director of The Pittsburgh Promise, came to Oliver High School to tell students that The Pittsburgh Promise had a gift for them: a $20,000 college scholarship, if they graduate with at least a 2.25 GPA. But what really got Jahmiah's attention was the next thing Saleem said. "Even if your current GPA is as low as 1.7, it is still mathematically possible for you to get your grades up to the required minimum and earn a Promise Scholarship. If you earn a 4.0 each quarter of your senior year, you will be awarded The Promise."

That possibility changed Jahmiah's life. He still held a job his senior year, but he made sure he attended every class and was dedicated to completing every assignment. He made different choices about peers he spent his time with and where he focused his energies. As a result, he was chosen for Oliver High School's Hometown High Q Team, he participated in the African American History Bowl and was selected for one of the two youth seats on the African American Men and Boys Advisory Board convened by the Heinz Endowments. Jahmiah had turned his life around, but would it be enough?

By the time Jahmiah graduated he had successfully earned three of the four 4.0s that he needed. He was waiting for his grades from the last report period to arrive to know whether he would be able to attend college. A week after graduation he got his answer when he opened his report card and saw the letter "A" listed as his grade next to each and every class. Jahmiah had earned his Promise Scholarship.

This fall, Jahmiah started his freshmen year at Penn State Greater Allegheny as a Gas and Petroleum Engineering major. The Pittsburgh Promise ignited something in Jahmiah that made him reach for a future that was full of hope and possibility. Jahmiah's story is compelling evidence that the promise of a scholarship can change a life.