Delgado Student Captures Scholarship from National Leadership Society

March 09, 2021

Dahlia Caro is the first Delgado Community College student to be awarded a scholarship from the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).

She is one of just 12 students nationwide to win an Academic Excellence Scholarship from NSLS. The scholarships recognize inducted members who exemplify leadership accomplishments and have high academic standing.

NSLS is the largest collegiate leadership honor society in the United States, with over 700 chapters and more than one million members, who collectively have completed over 200,000 hours of community service. Students are selectively invited based on academic achievements and leadership potential.

Caro, who lives in Robert, LA is a 2020 graduate of Mandeville’s Fontainebleau High School, where she was a National Honor Society member. She is pursing the Associate of General Studies degree at Delgado and is looking forward to building on that foundation after graduating.

Courses taken outside Delgado to become a Registered Behavioral Therapist fostered a strong desire to study psychology, especially behavioral analysis. She plans to earn a bachelor's degree in the field of behavioral psychology and applied behavioral analysis. 

Like many Delgado students, Caro works part-time. Helping at a Northshore center serving children with autism provides both income and the opportunity to do good work for fellow human beings—something she is recognized for by teachers, friends and associates.

Caro makes room in her busy schedule to explore interests in dance, art, writing, history and music. She studied dance and humanities at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), which she attended for three years.

“The Academic Excellence Scholarship awarded by the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) has affected my life in the most positive way,” said Caro. “I chose to write about my emancipation and my journey to beginning adulthood as my submitted essay, and this scholarship is a perfect example of the assistance I have received over the years on my way to independence.”

Caro said she plans to divide the scholarship between two savings accounts: one for school expenses and another for an apartment. Most of the funds will go towards school, she said, to help meet tuition and textbook costs, as well the cost of transportation.

“This was one of the first scholarships I have ever applied for, and the Delgado team made the process very smooth,” she said. “I would like to acknowledge the Delgado Financial Aid Office and the Office of Admissions for their assistance in the process of submitting my scholarship application.”

“I would also like to acknowledge Raina Zelinski, my humanities teacher from NOCCA, for her letter of recommendation,” she said. “Thank you to NSLS for providing me with this opportunity.”

NSLS provides a life-changing leadership program that helps students achieve personal growth and career success and empowers them to have a positive impact in their communities.

“Higher education is one of the most valuable investments any individual can make. It requires commitment to education and discipline to persevere through the academic rigors of undergraduate or graduate studies,” states the NSLS website.

Caro said that setting achievable goals is how she plans to ensure continued success. She credits her experience with the NSLS chapter at Delgado with helping her to understand a key life lesson: “I’ve learned that the size of the goal doesn’t make it any more impressive than does achieving a goal in itself. No matter how much you get done, what matters is you got it done.”

 

Delgado Community College celebrates 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!”www.dcc.edu