Tennessee State University: Agricultural Science with an Environmental Science Concentration

Reflecting on her experience, Aaliyah shares how the Making a Difference Scholarship has impacted her academic journey.

This scholarship covered the cost of my books, microwave, and computer—tools that have been essential for my studies. My laptop goes everywhere with me, whether I’m in the library writing essays and lab reports or logging critical research data in the field. As an Agricultural and Environmental Sciences major at TSU, I conduct extensive fieldwork, and this scholarship even helped me purchase high waders for my research! With the support of Witherite Law Group, I’ve had the opportunity to present my research statewide, including at the Tennessee Academy of Sciences, the state capitol, and several state parks. I even competed at Montgomery Bell State Park against hundreds of students and won two awards—People’s Choice and SecondPlace for Undergraduate Research. No freshman has ever achieved these honors before! Now, I’m preparing to present nationally and have started collaborating with Vanderbilt.

Witherite Law Group is proud to witness Aaliyah Cotton thrive in her academic and research endeavors. Her ambition and perseverance are exactly what the Making a Difference Scholarship was designed to support. We can’t wait to see all she accomplishes in the years ahead!