Meet Doc & Glo Scholarship recipient Tori Bell!

No matter how busy my tennis career gets, I will always be committed to giving back to and supporting my community. In fact, the more success I have on the court, the more driven I am to help others off the court.

In 2013, when I was just 20 years old, I started the Sloane Stephens Foundation to help provide more opportunities to children in underserved communities through education and sports. I’ve been blessed to work with more than 15,000 young people across the country.

But I didn’t want to stop there. That’s why I launched the Doc & Glo Scholarship. Created in honor of my late grandparents, who were such an important part of my life and big believers in the power of education, this scholarship will help 20 students pay for the education they need to pursue their dreams.

Today I want to introduce you to one of the inaugural recipients of the Doc & Glo Scholarship, Tori Bell of San Leandro, California. 

Tori has faced plenty of hardships in her life, including the loss of her brother, who was murdered in 2021. But this tragedy motivates Tori to continue go after her goal of becoming a nurse. To say that Tori is a hard worker is an understatement.

“I worked while pregnant and carried my son to full term,” Tori explains. “At the same time, I was going to school and working full time hours during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

She continues to juggle motherhood with her studies, often doing homework while her son naps or during his playtime.

Tori’s work ethic and passion for helping others set her apart from other applicants. Read on to get to know Tori.

Tori and her sweet son, Amirio!

How has the Doc & Glo Scholarship helped you go after your goals?

For me, this scholarship meant that I could dream bigger, regardless of what the world tells me to do. My little brother, Hassani Bell, was murdered in August 2021, while just getting a haircut in the barbershop. From that moment, my life stopped, and my fight began. I applied for this scholarship not only for myself but also for Hassani. One of his biggest accomplishments while he was here was being able to win a scholarship so he could go to college. I never knew I could walk in his footsteps being the older sibling. My goal is to embody everything that he stood for and to do my best to achieve those things. This scholarship gets me one step closer to a career as a nurse.

The scholarship has helped me tremendously during my summer semester because it covered fees that I was not capable of funding at that time. Having less stress from financial burdens, I was able to fully focus on my studies without worrying about how I would have to pay for my classes.

Do you feel the struggles you’ve faced in life have made you stronger?

Growing up in a single-parent, low-income family household, I can speak from experience, that life has so many struggles to offer. At an early age, I was able to understand that every hardship placed in your path will help you to grow, especially if you take a positive approach to it. My life struggles also sparked the passion I have for nursing, as well as serving those in the community around me. I have discovered a deep sense of compassion for individuals who are hurting and are in need.

Why are you so passionate about nursing?

My passion is to take care of others. Not only will nursing school give me the chance to better people’s lives by improving their health, but it will also grant me the opportunity to fulfill my aspirations of spreading love and compassion to all those individuals in need.

I don’t hesitate to always be at the forefront to help people especially my family and also now I am more determined to graduate nursing school in order to give my son, Amirio, a better life. I’ve watched myself climb out of the most debilitating circumstances and [through it all] I continue to give to the healthcare field, to my staff and also to my family. I believe this is a moment for me to give back to myself.

You mentioned that you remain confident and positive no matter what obstacles you face. Where do you think your confidence and optimism come from?

My confidence and optimism definitely come from my family and support system. Before my brother Hassani Bell passed away, he made a huge impact in my life because of the way he uplifted my confidence to be a medical professional. Hassani always told me how much my medical contributions meant to our community and he reminded me of the qualities that I couldn't see in myself at times. This gave me optimism to never give up and to keep going. My little brother was actually a role model for me. Our bond was so strong that it drove us to both implement changes and impact through our careers. I made a promise to Hassani that we would graduate college together. Although he isn't present, I will always keep my promise and I will utilize that promise to walk across the nursing stage in two years. My pain from losing my brother pushes me to keep going and my love for my son reminds me always that I'm on the right path to giving a better life to my family.

Tori and Hassani

To learn more about the Doc & Glo Scholarship visit Bold.org. All high school seniors and current undergraduate students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to apply.