Making Life Easier Scholars
Coming full circle, previous Making Life Easier scholarship recipients are instilled with a sense of community and a desire to give back.
Since 2007, Toyota North America has awarded thousands of students with the “Toyota Making Life Easier” scholarship: over $14 million to more than 2,800 students to date.
This program has been uniquely tied directly to Toyota’s community partners – ranging from Boys & Girls Clubs of America to Girl Scouts of America. The program has continued to evolve, in connection with Toyota USA Foundations’ Driving Possibilities, their newest career readiness and community enrichment initiative designed to reduce barriers to education to help prepare students for the careers of tomorrow. Students attending any school that’s part of the Driving Possibilities initiative are eligible to apply for the Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship.
For 2024, Toyota increased its annual commitment from $1 million annually to $1.5 million annually and will award 50 students with scholarships of up to $30,000 that will be distributed over four years.
The Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship recognizes students who exhibit strong community engagement and leadership. The scholarship celebrates their hard work, determination, and perseverance to succeed with their academic and professional goals – and hope to make that journey just a little bit easier by either assisting with tuition costs or related expenses, like transportation or food.
Taking a look back at the impact of the Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship through the years, we connected with some past recipients, from 2015 to 2022:
2015 Recipient: Tyler Carr
Tyler Carr, a 2015 Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship recipient, graduated in 2019 from Arizona State University with a degree in Applied Biological Sciences.
Tyler Carr graduated from Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona in 2015, and he knew he wanted to make a difference by going into the medical field. The Making Life Easier scholarship helped bring this in reach by covering related expenses that can really add up when pursuing higher education, like gas to get to and from school and meals each day.
In addition to this, the scholarship “gave me an amazing opportunity to purchase a full ‘interview outfit’ – including full suit, shirt, ties, and shoes,” said Tyler. And, as Tyler was honored with the “Outstanding Graduating Senior” from Arizona State University in 2019 – walking across that stage in his ‘interview outfit’ – it was evident the scholarship provided a palpable sense of confidence and pride. “Toyota believed in me,” he added, and the Making Life Easier scholarship helped him continue his academic endeavors, always with gratitude for those who believed in his potential.
“I was raised to not only be humble in success, but to also invest and commit to make those who believed in me to be proud of what their investment in me stood for,” said Tyler. And he encourages any students considering applying for the Making Life Easier scholarship or other scholarships to “dive in.” He says: “If you are hesitant on sharing your story or are fearful of being told you didn’t win, take the dive and do it anyway!”
2019 Recipient: Kennedy Beavers
Kennedy Beavers, a 2019 Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship recipient, graduated in 2023 from Texas Southern University with a degree in biology.
Kennedy knew from an early age she wanted to help people who are sick and bring comfort to them and their families. This hit home for her, watching her dad go from doctor’s appointment to doctor’s appointment.
Kennedy’s dad died from leukemia when she was just 12 years old; her desire to help people grew ever stronger. “My mom became a single parent with two small children, and I began to worry about how she could pay for our household things and college,” she said.
After participating in a summer program through Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Kennedy began to explore the profession of dentistry as her way to help others. About the same time, she joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America and began participating in the Keystone and Collegiate Steps programs. That’s where she first heard about the Making Life Easier scholarship from a Toyota rep attending one of the meetings, and she knew she needed to apply.
“Receiving the Making Life Easier scholarship from Toyota has been a huge blessing and has impacted my education and professional journey by helping relieve the financial burdens of tuition and books,” Kennedy said. And these funds came at an especially good time: she was receiving emails from her school that she was carrying an outstanding balance. Kennedy and her mom were trying to figure out how they were going to pay. And, just in time, Kennedy learned that she had been awarded Making Life Easier scholarship. “I screamed so loud,” she said, “I began to cry and called my mom. We were both screaming on the phone. I am so thankful.”
In sharing advice to future students considering applying for the Making Life Easier scholarship, she says: “Be transparent and don’t’ be afraid to try. The Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship will do just that… make life easier!”
2022 Recipient: Oluwatusin Diyan
Oluwatusin Diyan, a 2022 Toyota Making Life Easier scholarship recipient, graduated in 2024 from University of Nevada: Reno with dual degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and a minor in Mathematics.
A scholarship can be many things; it can be the financial assistance to help with tuition or help to cover meal and gas expenses.
For Oluwatusin, it also helped enforce a strong desire to give back. “I want to improve the quality of life for people in underserved communities, locally and globally,” she said. “This scholarship not only provided financial support but also motivated me to strive even harder to achieve my goals, knowing that an organization like Toyota believes in my potential.”
Given the nature of Oluwatusin’s coursework at the University of Nevada: Reno, the “bonus gift” that came with the Making Life Easier scholarship helped even further than the scholarship alone. This included a laptop, which “became an indispensable part of my education, allowing me to complete assignments, engage in virtual labs, and participate in group projects effectively,” she said.
Oluwatusin carries on valuable life lessons from her time with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Now that I am back in Las Vegas, I have been reflecting on how I can give back to the community that supported me,” she said. She holds a strong desire to support not only her own immediate community, but she is looking to the future with a passion for contributing to the next generation’s growth as well.
To other students, Oluwatusin gives this advice: “Believe in your potential; you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”