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By Juli McDonald
/ CBS Boston
BROCKTON – Shanoi Allen has been in the same unsteady boat as so many graduating seniors. The chaotic rollout of the new FAFSA form has made an already overwhelming process even harder: how to pay for college?
“I was going to see if maybe I could work a little on the side to help pay off the debt,” she said.
Her classmate planned to join the National Guard to help pay for UMass Boston. Until Livingstone College came to Brockton High Wednesday.
“I was still in shock. My friend was asking me, ‘why are you not happy?'” Dimonika Binda Bray recalled.
She sure was happy, but her face showed disbelief – for a chance to study, for free.
“It’s like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders,” Allen said, excitedly.   
Twenty-eight Brockton seniors were accepted on the spot and awarded full-ride scholarships. It’s a life-changing gift adding up to almost a million dollars.
“I have been smiling all day. It really was an incredible thing, and this is absolutely one of the highlights of my career, seeing that happen,” said associate principal of academics Rachael Umbrianna.
Both women want to study biology, as they pursue careers caring for others.
“Ever since I was younger, I always wanted to be a doctor. To serve my community, to give back to the people who helped me,” Bray said.
“I just think of nurses as some of the most awesome people around. I want to be that person who can put other people at ease,” Allen said.
Shanoi herself, now at ease, and on her way to making that dream come true.  
Juli McDonald is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV.
First published on April 3, 2024 / 11:20 PM EDT
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