RICHMOND, Va. -- A University of Richmond student was given the surprise of a lifetime by a Grammy-winning band.
Hiniye Madelaine received a $3,000 scholarship from the band Imagine Dragons.
The band created the "Origins" scholarship to support first-generation, immigrant and refugee students.
In their applications, the winners shared their powerful stories about the hardships they have faced as refugees.
Madelaine was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, and, in her entry, she wrote about overcoming the expectations of women in their cultures and about the challenges she faced receiving an education in the U.S.
She plans to become an immigration or criminal justice lawyer, and to eventually return to her home country to work to empower young girls.
"This award came at the perfect time for me," Madelaine said. "I was trying to find the money to pay for a class I'll be attending next semester, and receiving this grant was quite beneficial."
Madelaine is the second oldest of nine siblings and said she is the first in her family to be receiving a college education.
