Zahria Moore, a scholar at Florida State University, was raised in a challenging environment.  

According to her account, her mother exhibited abusive behavior, battled alcohol addiction, and had periods of incarceration, leading Moore and her siblings to encounter food scarcity and homelessness. She regarded education as her refuge, a sentiment that persisted throughout her university years.  

Moore is poised to graduate from FSU this summer with a bachelor’s degree in criminology, crediting FSU’s Unconquered Scholars Program, which offers assistance services and a supportive community for students who have encountered significant adversities in childhood, thereby increasing their likelihood of abandoning their education without obtaining a degree. 

On Monday, March 31, the Unconquered Scholars Program hosted its yearly banquet at FSU’s Miller Hall to honor the 136 students currently partaking in the program and to acknowledge the 42 students graduating this year. 

 “This program feels akin to sipping from a wishing well,” Moore expressed during her keynote speech at the banquet. “Everything I sought, everything I came to college in search of, I discovered within this extraordinary program and these incredible individuals. My family, my second home, my sanctuary, my trusted allies.” 

 “This program feels akin to sipping from a wishing well. Everything I sought, everything I came to college in search of, I discovered within this extraordinary program and these incredible individuals.”

– Zahria Moore, Unconquered Scholar and summer 2025 graduate

The article Florida State University’s Unconquered Scholars banquet celebrates student resilience, achievement first appeared on Florida State University News.