Announcements about the previous winners of our scholarship can be found by clicking one of the links below:
2021: Ember Hughes
2022: Sandra Frenia
2023: Elizabeth Jones
2024: Joshua Thornton
Announcing Our Students Affected by Cancer Scholarship Winner Joshua Thornton
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We are proud to announce that Josh, a diligent Guilford Technical Community College student, has been selected to receive the 2024 Ambient Edge Cancer Scholarship. Josh’s experience is one of resilience, hope, and pursuing one of his biggest passions – food. His path from battling leukemia to realizing his dream of becoming a chef is a testament to hope, and he is a testament to the power of resilience, passion, and the healing nature of food.
A Dream of Giving Back Through Food
Josh dreams of owning and managing his restaurant one day, but his aspiration stretches higher than just opening a business. Josh envisions his restaurant as a spot where food is utilized to create change. He wishes to have his restaurant in Los Angeles, a city he loves due to his life-changing Make-A-Wish trip there. On this trip, Josh experienced his first truly impressionable meal moment—one that added fuel to his already existing passion for cooking.
The goal is to create a restaurant that combines comfort and creativity, offering innovative but familiar dishes. In addition to the amazing food, Josh’s vision is that his restaurant be a community. Josh envisions his success as a catalyst for giving back to those in need, whether that involves feeding the poor or running mentorship programs.
Food as a Source of Hope
The passion Josh has for food comes from his childhood battle with leukemia. During his treatment, food became a source of hope and strength. As he began to heal, Josh realized the power food had, not just as a fueling of the body but also in healing the spirit.
Food became Josh’s closest companion, even on his worst days. It kept him going, even if he wasn’t feeling his best. Beyond sustenance, food became a source of comfort and strength. Through this experience, Josh learned the strength of a meal to bring people together, comfort, and light up someone’s day.
Giving Back to the Community
With his passion for food and his desire to enact positive change, Josh began cooking and serving meals to those affected by homelessness in his community. To him, food is one of the best ways to tell someone you care. It’s not simply about filling an empty stomach to Josh; “It’s about making people feel heard, worthy, and loved.”
Josh’s service to others is grounded in his own great love for community and his belief that food can be used to unite people. Every meal, for him, is an opportunity to make a person feel less alone and a little less forgotten. This empathy drives him to pursue his dream of using his cooking skills to touch people in a way that reaches far beyond the kitchen.
Looking to the Future
Josh is currently pursuing an education at Guilford Technical Community College and will continue to work towards his dream of opening a restaurant, all while still being dedicated to making an impact by serving those less fortunate than himself. His journey has been marked by struggle but by an unwavering belief in the healing force of food. Josh hopes to encourage individuals not to view food solely as sustenance but as a method to bring about hope, create community, and offer comfort to those in desperate need.
We could not be more proud to stand behind Josh and wish him well in all he does, and we have every confidence that he will do great things in life. He is a testament that in the face of adversity, the power of passion, kindness, and love of food can leave the world a lasting impression.
All our best wishes, Josh. We can hardly wait to hear what the future holds for you!
