Awarded to Leilahni Ladipoh of Glen Burnie, Md., prestigious award covers all college expenses for a student dedicated to pursuing a career that improves race relations.

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, Oct. 14, 2025—Centenary University has awarded this year’s Grace Y. Bissett and Louise Monez Hill Scholarship to Leilahni Ladipoh of Glen Burnie, Md. The prestigious four-year scholarship covers the full cost of attendance at Centenary—including tuition and fees, room and board, books, transportation, travel, and miscellaneous expenses—to a student who is dedicated to pursuing a career that improves race relations. The scholarship fund was established through an estate gift from Centenary University alumna Louise M. Hill ’40 in memory of her aunt, Grace Y. Bissett, who made her education possible. 

“Centenary University is proud to recognize Leilahni Ladipoh as the recipient of this year’s Grace Y. Bissett and Louise Monez Hill Scholarship,” said Devon Vialva, scholarship committee chair, who also serves as the University’s assistant dean of diversity and inclusion and director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). “Leilahni’s scholarship application stood out to the committee for her commitment to bridging divides to bring mental health awareness and services to children of all races and ethnic groups. We are excited to see her grow as a campus leader at Centenary.”

Centenary University President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., surprised Ladipoh with the news that she had won the scholarship at freshman move-in day. A volleyball player, she had arrived on campus a week earlier with the rest of the University’s NCAA athletes, so her family wasn’t present for the news. “At first, it didn’t click,” recalled Ladipoh, who had applied for the scholarship a year earlier at the urging of Brooke Armida, Centenary’s women’s volleyball coach. “It was completely out of mind; the news didn’t feel real. Then, I called my mom, dad, and grandparents. They were all so proud, they were crying.” 

A graduate of Glen Burnie High School, Ladipoh first heard about Centenary through a search for great colleges. While she’s not an equestrian, the University’s top equine studies program and beautiful campus caught her eye. On a campus visit to meet Armida in person, Ladipoh fell in love with Centenary’s small, personal atmosphere: “Everyone was so welcoming. I didn’t really want to attend a bigger school because I’d never get one-on-one time with my professors.”

Now in her first semester at Centenary, Ladipoh is majoring in psychology, with a goal to someday work as a children’s behavioral health therapist. Her commitment to increase accessibility to mental health resources across racial and ethnic boundaries dovetails with the goals of the Grace Y. Bissett and Louise Monez Hill Scholarship. “I want to end uncomfortable conversations about race and truly understand everyone’s perspective,” Ladipoh explained. “Certain races and ethnicities don’t have as many opportunities to receive therapy, and sometimes it’s even frowned upon. I believe that everybody deserves to be seen and heard. We’re all the same on the inside.”

Ladipoh—who has now canceled her student loans—is extremely grateful for the bequest that funded her full scholarship and encourages other potential donors to consider a contribution to Centenary’s scholarship fund: “Your donation would be going to something so worthwhile. With a scholarship, students like me can focus on their studies, and later, not struggle to pay off student loans. Thanks to this scholarship, I can really breathe and not worry about my financial future.”

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY                                             

Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally—keys to career and personal success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs, including the world’s first Ph.D. in Happiness Studies and first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our students and local communities.