Scholarship support empowers UAH students Jaeda Smith and John David Goode to achieve their professional goals and serve their communities

Scholarship gifts do more than just provide financial support at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System. With fewer financial burdens, students like Jaeda Smith and John David Goode are able to experience everything UAH has to offer: enriching extracurriculars, research and internship opportunities, and a pathway to professional success that transforms exciting aspirations into fruitful careers.

Jaeda Smith (B.A. Theater Performance, B.S. Secondary Education ‘28) never imagined she would have the chance to follow her dreams. As a single mother who became a parent at sixteen, the time and resources demanded by a college education seemed inaccessible.

Jaeda, however, remained determined to achieve her goals, serve her community, and provide the best possible future for her daughter. She enrolled at UAH, where she was selected as a recipient of the Kathy L. Chan Scholarship in Theatre. With fewer financial burdens and the opportunity to explore UAH’s dynamic academic possibilities, Jaeda is not only pursuing her degree in Theatre Performance; she is also working towards a degree in Secondary Education.

Jaeda came to UAH with a vision, a plan, and the work ethic to realize her full potential; but scholarship support was the key she needed to pursue the credentials and earn the experience needed to succeed professionally. Upon her graduation in 2028, Jaeda hopes to pursue a master’s degree in theatre education and performance while continuing to serve the community through nonprofit work.

“This scholarship means so much to me,” Jaeda says. “I work hard every day to ensure my daughter has a strong role model and sees the value of perseverance and education.”

John David Goode (B.S. Atmospheric and Earth Sciences ‘26) has found more than a quality education at UAH; through hands-on and experiential opportunities on and off campus, he’s also found a professional calling–one made possible through scholarship support that has allowed him to engage in everything UAH has to offer.

An aspiring meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS), John David has taken advantage of UAH’s strong partnerships within the weather community to begin building his career. He had the opportunity to conduct Honors Capstone Research in evaluating weather models at the university’s own Earth Systems Science Center (ESSC), which led to a conference presentation at the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting. John David also served as the Treasurer of UAH’s meteorology club, UPSTORM, where he’s been able to help launch multiple weather balloons for the NWS and learn more about field research.

One of the most exciting opportunities for John David was getting selected for a Student Volunteer position with the NWS. In addition to familiarizing himself with workplace operations in all kinds of weather, he was able to gain hands-on experience in issuing forecast products. John David plans to continue his education and professional development with a Master’s Degree in meteorology at UAH, which he was able to begin early through the university’s Joint Undergraduate Master’s Program (JUMP).

When he’s not evaluating weather models or forecasting for his friends, John David enjoys spending time outdoors and with his local church, where he’s led an on-campus community group for the past three years. He also served as a Resident Assistant for UAH Housing, where he built strong communication skills and meaningful connections across campus.

A recipient of the George Ditto Memorial Scholarship and the Mark and Michelle Reavis Leadership Scholarship, John David is grateful not only for the opportunity to pursue academic excellence with fewer financial burdens, but also the chance to give back to his campus community.

“My scholarships have allowed me to not only flourish in classes and extracurriculars, but also to invest in a full meal plan,” John David says. “This allows me to be intentional to eat with my residents at the cafeteria or around campus and learn their stories.”