When Maci Stephens’ father passed while she was in middle school, a healing encounter with her school’s counselor inspired her to become a counselor herself. Now a student at Boise State University as a recipient of the True Blue Scholarship, Stephens said the support she receives fuels her desire to help young people through life and loss.

“Becoming a counselor is learning to better understand people, and Boise State provides a good ground for this because everyone here has a different background and life story,” she said. “The structured courses and scheduled events help me thrive. I love being at Boise State.”

Stephens is pursuing her aspirations with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology alongside a minor in American Sign Language. She is an academic at heart, but her greatest challenges are financial. Scholarships help eliminate obstacles like cost, and the True Blue gives her the freedom to get the best out of her education, and explore her communities to the fullest extent.

“Funding students is important because it’s helping us find time to put into the community of Boise State,” she said. “We can become a part of clubs and activities, and all while having the space to breathe and stress less about that financial aspect.”

A driven first-generation college student, Stephens knows the value of this support, helping her flourish with confident independence. Coming from Emmett, Idaho, Stephens hopes to continue on to pursue a higher degree in psychology after she graduates in May of ’26.