Before Meredith Waguespack became the owner of Sweet Baton Rouge, she was a college student struggling to manage work, classes and the financial burden of undergraduate studies. A low ACT score and a learning disability made college harder for her than for most people. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her goal. At 23, she re-enrolled while working full-time as a store manager. And while she was struggling to make ends meet, the full-time position disqualified her from any financial aid, which is a situation many young adults find themselves in today.

For the last 16 years, Waguespack has learned a lot about what it means to be a leader while operating Sweet Baton Rouge, the Louisiana-inspired goods and apparel store she founded. To fulfill a calling to help others, Waguespack created The Petey’s Scholarship, named after the store’s mascot, for Louisiana students facing challenges while pursuing a college degree.

“I feel like there’s a larger pool of people who are putting themselves through college, just trying to advance their futures. And I want to shout out those people and acknowledge that I see them,” Waguespack says.

The two most recent The Petey’s Scholarship recipients were high school graduates, and one is employed by Sweet Baton Rouge. As an out-of-state, first-generation college student, Waguespack says she enjoys seeing the scholarship be put to good use.

“I see how hard she works,” she says. “She has two jobs, and she’s in clubs. So I see her and the time and effort she’s putting into school, the hurdles that she has to go against, and her work ethic. It’s really exciting to see that all come together.”

The only requirement for applicants is that they must be a high school senior or current college student working toward their goals amid financial or academic struggles. Waguespack and her friends, Elisha Coats and Meagan Marsalis Stephenson, review each application.

And they’re not looking for the 4.0 students, she says. They’re looking for grit and a chance to help someone be seen in ways Waguespack wasn’t.

“I believe that if you fail initially in your first round of going to school but you’ve put some time in and grown in maturity and you want to try again at any age, I don’t think that age should ever stop you from pursuing something you want to do,” she says.

For Waguespack, that belief is personal. She knows firsthand what it means to struggle in college, step away and try again. Now,

she’s extending the helping hand she once needed. Offering this scholarship specifically to Louisiana locals was something important to Waguespack. Having lived in both north and south Louisiana, she’s seen the talent that this state holds, and she wants to help showcase all it has to offer. That same desire to empower others carries into her work at Sweet Baton Rouge, where she hopes to show what’s possible when you build something from the ground up.

Applications for The Petey’s Scholarship are open through October 30. For more information and to apply, visit sweetbatonrouge.com.