Ariana Paige dreams of becoming a midwife and serving her community by opening a birthing center in her hometown of Henrico, Virginia. A new scholarship created during Virginia Commonwealth University’s Invest in Me campaign is helping her bring that dream to life.

Paige, a senior majoring in health, physical education and exercise science in the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, is one of the inaugural recipients of the Doug and Cathy Greenwood Scholarship, which supports undergraduate students from the greater Richmond, Virginia, area. Cathy and Douglas (M.Ed.’84/E) Greenwood established the scholarship in 2020 to realize their own dream of providing life-changing resources to someone who might not have had opportunities to succeed otherwise.

“A college education is more than books,” Cathy Greenwood says. “It broadens your perspective and the way you see everything in life.”

Receiving the Greenwood Scholarship, Paige says, has made a huge impact on her VCU experience.

“It’s helping my parents and I afford my education while allowing me to focus on my studies as I navigate through my time at VCU,” Paige says. “I still want to work so I can save up money for the future, but I’m not having to work nearly as much as I used to.”

Outside of class and work, Paige is actively involved in extracurricular activities as a member of the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students and VCU’s chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action. After she earns her bachelor’s degree in 2022, Paige hopes to enroll in VCU’s Accelerated B.S. in Nursing program and become a certified nurse midwife with a focus on prenatal and postnatal care for women from marginalized populations.

“Black and brown women are more likely to die during childbirth than any other group,” she says. “I want to become an advocate so more women can be heard and have their concerns listened to.”

Paige’s goal is to make a difference, and she is grateful for the scholarship that is helping her prepare to achieve it.

“It’s such a blessing for me, my family and my future patients,” she says.