Ashley Calogero Wins 2025 Heart Disease Scholarship for Resilience

Berger and Green, a Pittsburgh-based law firm, has announced Ashley H. Calogero as the winner of their 2025 Heart Disease Scholarship, recognizing her extraordinary resilience and academic achievements despite being born with a rare congenital heart defect. The $1,000 scholarship program specifically supports students living with heart disease, honoring those who demonstrate strength and perseverance in overcoming medical challenges. Calogero's inspiring journey includes surviving life-saving surgery as an infant and transforming her physical scars into symbols of strength, guided by her Japanese grandmother's wisdom of "fall down seven times, get up eight."

Despite facing a significant setback when her dream of attending a military academy was medically disqualified due to her childhood heart surgery, Calogero reframed this disappointment into motivation, embodying the very spirit the Berger and Green Heart Disease Scholarship seeks to recognize. She is now pursuing Global Security and Intelligence Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she has demonstrated leadership through varsity tennis, Student Council, and the National Honor Society. Her future goals include earning a commission as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Air Force and eventually transitioning to a federal agency to continue serving and protecting the nation.

The firm's scholarship program not only provides financial support but also celebrates individuals who turn personal adversity into strength and service to others. Calogero's story serves as a powerful testament to human resilience and the transformative power of perspective, making her an ideal recipient who perfectly aligns with the scholarship's mission to honor those who refuse to let medical challenges define their potential or limit their aspirations.