An incoming freshman at East Carolina University, Monique Hayes entered our Real Superheroes Challenge to fuel her ambitions of becoming a dentist. A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, Monique knows that college is expensive and every dollar counts. With her $200 grant, she plans to get important school and dorm supplies this fall.

Congrats on being a Real Superheroes winner! What is your career dream?

My professional dream is to have my own dental practice.

How will you use the funding you received?

I will be using the 1,000 Dreams Fund grant to help pay for items in my new dorm room and school supplies to use in the fall.

How is this helping you get closer to your dream?

This grant is helping me to buy things for my dorm that I wouldn’t have been able to afford. My family isn’t the most financially stable.

What advice do you have for other young women looking to go for their dreams?

To other young women looking to go for their dreams, I say, never stop! No one ever said it would be easy. No one said the process to achieving your dreams would ever be easy, but it’ll  be worth it.

Have you faced any setbacks?

A setback I had was having negative people in my life distracting me from success and happiness. I removed them from my life and focused on what was important and what aided my success.

What’s next for you?

My next goal is making straight A’s in the upcoming fall semester and finding a summer job.