Fiorella Heads to Carnegie Mellon on Full Scholarship to Study Chemical Engineering

From Paterson, NJ, to the prestigious campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA—Fiorella is a living testament to what hard work, faith, and opportunity can achieve. We are excited to announce that this fall, Fiorella will begin her college journey at Carnegie Mellon, where she will study Chemical Engineering on a full scholarship.

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Fiorella announcing her exciting college news!

Her path has been anything but easy, but her story is one of relentless perseverance and the transformative power of educational support. A recent graduate of Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, Fiorella shared her journey with the Tri-County Scholarship Fund as a high school junior—and her story continues to inspire.

At just eight years old, Fiorella knew she wanted to become a chemical engineer. She even wrote to Harvard, her then-dream school, to declare her ambition. In return, she received a letter from the Director of Science Teaching and Learning, who emphasized the importance of curiosity, hard work, and perseverance—three values Fiorella has carried with her ever since.

But growing up in Paterson, a city often overshadowed by negative stereotypes and socioeconomic challenges, Fiorella faced more than academic hurdles. “Some of the stereotypes are that people from Paterson are drug dealers, gang members, and the worst one: being called ‘ghetto,’” she said. “These disheartening stereotypes do not apply to me.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her mother—Fiorella’s greatest inspiration—was forced to leave her job to protect her immunocompromised daughter. Financial hardship threatened to derail Fiorella’s dream of attending Mary Help. The only option seemed to be the local public high school with a graduation rate far below her aspirations.

That’s when the Tri-County Scholarship Fund stepped in.

Thanks to a scholarship from Tri-County, Fiorella was able to attend Mary Help—a school that changed her life. “It was at Mary Help that I found my true self and a loving, faith-filled community,” she shared. Over the next four years, she blossomed academically and spiritually. She joined Campus Ministry, became Executive Secretary of the Student Council, taught CCD, and volunteered in her community—all while excelling in honors and AP coursework.

Fiorella’s gratitude for Tri-County runs deep. “A scholarship is an opportunity to do more than what one’s circumstances permit them to do. It’s not just about getting money to go to any school. It’s about belief in the student and in their future.”

Now, as she prepares to head to Carnegie Mellon—one of the top engineering schools in the country—Fiorella does so not only with financial support, but with confidence, purpose, and a deep sense of calling. Her dream of becoming a chemical engineer is well within reach, and it all began with the gift of opportunity.

Congratulations, Fiorella. The future is yours—and it looks bright.

Watch Fiorella deliver her inspirational remarks from the 2025 Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon