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THE MORNING CALL | APR 04, 2022 AT 11:06 AM

Genesis Hernandez has wanted to be an orthodontist since she was 5 years old. She was inspired by her stepfather, who is a dentist in her home country of Nicaragua.

“I’ve always been around that, and I just fell in love with it,” she said of the dental profession. “I love science and math

After winning the Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent’s Scholarship last month, Hernandez, a graduating senior from Freedom High School, is now one step closer to achieving her dreams.

Hernandez, 18, was chosen, alongside Shayaan Farhad, a graduating senior from Liberty High School, as one of two winners who will attend ɫ��ɫ University tuition-free thanks to the scholarship, which is now in its seventh year.

“My mom was very happy,” Farhad, 18, said. “She gave me a hug, and she was emotional. And when my mom gets emotional, I get emotional.”

The partnership between the BASD and ɫ��ɫ provides four-year tuition scholarships to two graduating seniors — one from each of the district’s two high schools. This year’s winners were chosen from 41 applicants.

“It was tough because as inspiring as these two stories are, the other kids’ stories were pretty powerful, as well,” Superintendent Joseph Roy said. “I think in both cases, it was just the level of commitment above and beyond to being successful no matter what the hurdles were that were thrown at them.”

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