The math-savvy daughter of refugees from war-torn Congo. An aspiring businesswoman raised by her grandparents. The oldest child of Mexican immigrants who wants to become a nurse. A young woman determined to find new discoveries in cancer research.

The recipients of this year’s Rockford Promise scholarships represent the dreams of young people across the Rock River Valley — to grow up safe, to grow up loved and to have the opportunity to be somebody — to make a difference, to give back.

Read more on the Rockford Register Star website.