#GivingTuesday GU: Mariah Harned '23

Published: April 13, 2021

GU had everything Mariah Harned wanted. Its small class sizes proved ideal for hearing-impaired students like Mariah. The welcoming and intimate atmosphere around campus made for a smooth transition from Mariahs homeschooling days to a larger classroom setting. Finally, GUs science program promised undergraduate research opportunities and professor-student mentorship, all from a Christian perspective that affirms the existence of a loving creator.

To access her perfect-fit school, Mariah needed significant financial help via scholarshipsespecially when a year of health problems left her too fatigued to commute from home and forced her to assume the extra expense of campus room and board.

GUs McAllaster Honors Scholarship rewarded Mariah for her strong academic performance and delivered the financial relief she needed to make a GU education possible.

Now, says Mariah, I can enjoy learning without having to worry that I wont be able to come back next year.

And enjoy learning she does! Mariah triple majors in biology, chemistry, and Spanish. She says she fell in love with chemistry at GU. I love the fact that I can bring my questions directly to the science professors and, with those answered, sit and discuss the finer points of chemistry that I would never be able to understand on my own.

She hopes to become a research scientist at Mayo Clinic and develop new treatments for viral diseases.

She has one simple word of gratitude for GU donors: Thank you so much for your financial support!