The Dr. Terrell M. Hill "Leader for Change" Scholarship

Dr. Terrell Hill’s grandfather, Jimmie Mayweather, was born in Winder, Georgia just as the Great Depression hit the country. He had to leave school after third grade to start sharecropping on a farm away from his family.

At the age of 16, he ran away from that farm and moved to Washington, D.C. It was there he met Terrell’s grandmother, Pearline Bryant. Unfortunately, she did not complete high school before they were married and started having children.

To support his growing family, Terrell’s grandfather got a job on a dredge along the Atlantic seaboard as a laborer where he would do all the menial tasks other workers wouldn’t do. Terrell’s grandmother stayed home to take care of the their three daughters.

After a number of years they moved to Brooklyn, NY where they bought a home and raised their eight children. Terrell’s grandparents knew if he was educated, he would not have to work the hard low level jobs they did. While laying on her deathbed in the hospital, Terrell’s grandmother told his mother to “make sure those boys get their education!” His mother kept her promise to her mother. All three of her sons are college educated.

While Terrell was the first in his family to earn a four-year degree, he vowed he would not be the last. Earning a college degree for his family members would become the expected norm. Not only has that become a reality but a few of Terrell’s family members are also Westfield State alums.

Dr. Terrell Hill’s desire is to be a blessing to young people aspiring to obtain a college education. After all, it changes the trajectory of families.