Roane State student Eve Miclaus honored as a DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream

Eve Miclaus, a student at Roane State Community College, is one of only eight students from across the U.S. selected as a 2023 DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national nonprofit network of 300 colleges across the nation dedicated to advancing community colleges as hubs of equity and mobility in their communities.

Each year, ATD selects eight community college students to participate in an immersive learning experience at DREAM, ATD's annual conference, held this year in Chicago Feb. 14-17. Chosen through a rigorous application process, DREAM Scholars are outstanding students with diverse stories who bring their voices center stage and learn alongside higher education leaders throughout the conference.

This year’s DREAM Scholars have all been told stories at some point in their lives — whether by family members, peers, teachers, or societal expectations — that they were not meant for higher education. But they are each determined to write a different story.

Miclaus, the first Roane State student to be honored as a DREAM Scholar, is studying to become a chemical engineer and recently won Roane State’s General Chemistry Award. She works in the RSCC Learning Center as a tutor in Chemistry, Speech, and Math.

She has also had the opportunity to speak to the college’s presidential cabinet, an opportunity that helped her see the difference she can make for her college and for the world. She plans to pursue a career in chemical engineering that allows her to help preserve the planet, and is starting her own eco-friendly candle company. Her new story is about finding success through perseverance and creating opportunities for support and connection in her college community.

“I believe human connections and empowering one another are two of the most important things us humans need," she said. "It makes us all more likely to succeed. We are stronger together.”

Miclaus and her fellow scholars addressed the more than 300 attendees at the DREAM Conference on Feb. 15. Roane State President Chris Whaley said Miclaus "touched every heart in the room during her 'I am' speech. "I will succeed - there is no other choice," she said.