Finding out her college tuition would be paid for, but later finding out her funds would not be available was a hardship Brittany Overstreet, a senior at North High School in Des Moines, faced earlier this year.

Overstreet, who will be attending Iowa State in the fall, almost had her dream of attaining higher education dashed when a benefactor backed out of paying for her to attend a private college.

Earlier in the year, Overstreet had other plans to go to Spelman College, a private black women’s college in Atlanta. The Rev. Doyle Landry, a man she met while participating in a pageant in Atlanta, had offered to cover the cost of her tuition to the school as her benefactor.

“He said he was impressed with me, and was interested in sponsoring me so I could go to Spelman,” Overstreet said.

Landry kept in touch with Overstreet for six weeks. She said he mentioned bringing her back down to Atlanta to take a tour of the school and continued to talk her into believing that Spelman was the right place for her.

Overstreet said when her $300 acceptance fee was due, Landry made excuses and didn’t pay it.

Then the phone calls and e-mails from Landry stopped altogether. Overstreet and her family tried relentlessly to contact the man who said he would help with her education. She has yet to get in touch with Landry.

Landry could not be reached for comment.

Despite this setback, Overstreet did not want to give up on her goal of receiving a higher education.

She had also applied to Iowa State University, and since her first option fell through, she was now ready to explore another school.

“Iowa State kept me going. They had faith in me,” Overstreet said.

Carmen Flagge, program assistant of Multicultural Student Affairs, said Overstreet had all the qualities the Multicultural Vision Program looks for in recipients.

MVP is an ISU scholarship program for seniors from Iowa who have faced personal hardship and are in need of financial aid.

“She was exactly what we wanted — a good student in need of financial support,” Flagge said.

Iowa State reached out to Overstreet and encouraged her to apply for the MVP after the deadline had already passed.

“Our goal is to have 100 recipients a year, and if we know that a student is available, and needs help, we reach out,” said Flagge.

Overstreet also has a mix of other scholarships totaling $8,000, so her first year at Iowa State will be paid for.

“The MVP covers the cost of tuition for four years,” said Carmen Flagge, program assistant for the MVP. “It’s designed to help students who are in financial need, who, without the MVP, would not be able to attend Iowa State,” Flagge said.

The other benefits of the MVP range from seminars to introduce them to resources at Iowa State to opportunities to meet and talk to staff.

Overstreet said her family had encouraged her to apply for more scholarships, in case Landry’s promise fell through.

“I’m glad that I listened, Iowa State really helped me with a lot of stuff. They seemed to really care about me and my future,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet had participated in many pageants. She competed for Miss Iowa Teenager in 2002 and 2003, and in Miss Black Teen USA in 2004. She was also crowned Miss Black Teen Iowa, a title she still holds.

Brenda Carroll, Overstreet’s mother, said she is proud to see where her daughter is now. Carroll said she is most proud of Overstreet’s title of Miss Black Teen Iowa.

“She has overcome so many obstacles, which have just made her a stronger person.”

Vincent Lewis, principal at North High School, agrees that she has overcome many hardships in her life, something not many can do.

“People seldom turn the bad situations in their life to a positive,” Lewis said. “She is very strong-willed and determined to be successful.”

Overstreet said she’s excited about attending Iowa State, but is still unsure about what her major will be. She explains that she has an interest in many things.

“First it was business, then nursing, then I wanted to be a lawyer, then a teacher, so for now, I’ll just say undecided,” Overstreet said.