About deborah napoleon

Meet Deborah – The Heart Behind The Scholarship Strategy

Before There Was The Scholarship Strategy
To the students and families she serves, she’s simply Mrs. Debbie. For more than a decade, Deborah has worked across education as a teacher, writing coach, facilitator, and education technology consultant in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She has helped elementary students build foundational literacy skills, middle school students move from anxious scribblers to confident writers, and high school through college-age students strengthen their writing to communicate their stories effectively.

How Teaching and Consulting Shape Her Approach
In her current role at Teachstone and previous role at Lexia, Deborah has been a top-performing EdTech consultant and facilitator, working with principals, assistant superintendents, executive directors, instructional leaders, and other education decision-makers to communicate the value of high-impact educational solutions and help leaders make significant investments in their districts, schools, and communities. The connection is simple: Deborah teaches students the same strategy she uses professionally every day. Whether she is helping an education leader decide where to invest resources or helping a student pursue a scholarship, the method is similar: you have to understand what matters most to the person making the decision, show how your strengths and story align with what they value, help them believe in your potential, and give them a reason to want to invest in your success. That is the heart of scholarship strategy.

She Didn’t Just Win Scholarships. She Studied Why.
Deborah has earned outside scholarships and merit-based institutional aid throughout her own education, including major undergraduate awards from Burger King and McDonald’s. She also secured funding for graduate school that covered her full tuition, allowing her to earn two master’s degrees in education: General Education and Special Education: Mild to Moderate Disabilities. Her graduate tuition was fully funded through these opportunities. Her experience taught her how to identify the right opportunities, communicate her value, tell a compelling story, and give decision-makers a reason to believe in her.

So How Does Mrs. Debbie Actually Do It?
Mrs. Debbie doesn't simply give students scholarship lists or do the work for them. She teaches them how she approaches the process so they can develop the skills to pursue opportunities on their own, not just for scholarships today, but for college and beyond. She helps students answer questions like:

✅ How do I find scholarships I can actually compete for?
✅ What is compelling and unique about my journey that would make someone want to invest in me?
✅ How do I communicate my strengths and experiences in a way that makes my story memorable?
✅ Who in my network can speak to my strengths and help me stand out?
✅ What can I do after I apply to stay top of mind and turn relationships into opportunities beyond the application?

Her strategy incorporates fit, storytelling, writing, recommendations, follow-up, networking, and relationship-building to help students move from random applications to intentional opportunities. The goal is to help a scholarship committee move from “Why should we choose you?” to “We want to be part of what you're becoming.” And for Deborah, that transformation matters beyond the scholarship itself. She believes students should become the kind of people who take what they've been given and pour it back into their families, schools, and communities.

And Then She Started Teaching Students the “How”
Students as young as 9th grade are using Deborah's methodology to pursue and win scholarship money. High school students across Maryland have also used these strategies while pursuing admission and scholarship opportunities at universities including Morgan State University and UMBC, with some earning substantial award packages. Having served students across Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and throughout Maryland, Deborah now works with families locally and nationwide.

“But What If We Make Too Much?”
The Scholarship Strategy is for families who need significant financial support and families who assume they earn too much to qualify for anything. Deborah helps families look beyond income alone and identify opportunities based on the student's story, strengths, experiences, accomplishments, goals, and fit.

Why Listen to Mrs. Debbie?
Scholarship experience. Education expertise. Writing expertise. Real-world strategy. Deborah has been the student pursuing the money, the educator teaching students to communicate, the writing coach helping students find their voice, and the EdTech consultant helping education leaders understand the value of high-impact solutions that require significant investments. Now, she teaches students to communicate their own value. This strategy isn't about being the perfect student. It's about becoming the student a scholarship committee can believe in and want to invest in.

Want Mrs. Debbie to Bring the Strategy to Your Students?
Deborah can teach scholarship strategy directly to your students, families, or organization. She offers private, live virtual, and in-person workshops for schools, nonprofits, community organizations, churches, youth programs, and other groups.

For workshop rates and availability:
thescholarshipstrategy@gmail.com

Your Story Could Open a Door

The Scholarship Strategy by Mrs. Debbie

Helping students turn their stories into opportunities.