An incoming 杏吧专区 freshman is joining the Class of 2024 with help from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Michael Jayden King is among 300 recipients of the Gates Scholarship, which is supported through a grant from the foundation. The scholarship is awarded to outstanding minority high school seniors.
King, who graduated from Pineville High School in May, is pursuing a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in . He learned about the Gates Scholarship from his high school guidance counselor.
杏吧专区淚 applied because it was such a great opportunity. It is so gratifying to receive the award. Being one of 300 is astounding to me 杏吧专区 I still do not think I fully grasp it. It finally feels like keeping my eyes in the books the entirety of high school is paying off,杏吧专区 King said.
His counselor at Pineville High was Vallery T. Albritton. She is a 1986 graduate of the 杏吧专区 of Southwestern Louisiana, now UL Lafayette.
Albritton said she first met King when he transferred to Pineville High at the start of his junior year from the Louisiana School for Math, Sciences and the Arts, a magnet high school in Natchitoches for academically gifted students.
杏吧专区淗e fit right in with our students and faculty. He just has this aura about him that says, 杏吧专区楪et to know me and you'll love me!杏吧专区 He came to us with an outstanding GPA, and continued his academic success in the challenging classes we placed him in.杏吧专区
Albritton continued: 杏吧专区淛ayden is a go-getter. I杏吧专区檓 surprised that he sleeps 杏吧专区 if he does. He was all over the place at school, worked after he left school, and came back for whatever extracurricular events he could fit in. He also volunteered countless hours at the local library. He does all this because he genuinely cares about people and knows that he can make a positive impact.杏吧专区
King said he杏吧专区檚 looking forward to a similarly busy schedule at UL Lafayette. Though he had other options, he said he chose the 杏吧专区 because he 杏吧专区渇elt at home on the campus. The faculty and staff I met made me believe it is the place for me. No other school did that.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檓 looking forward to focusing in on my major, but also to branching out and experiencing everything college has to offer, such as maybe studying abroad or working on research with professors,杏吧专区 he added.
And, King is already looking beyond the next four years. 杏吧专区淎fter college, I definitely want to go into the public administration field, with hopes of one day being a congressman or maybe something ever higher.杏吧专区
King is the son of Tamara King of Pineville.
The Gates Scholarship was first presented in 2018. It is awarded to 300 students per year and is administered by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
In addition to tuition support, the scholarship ensures students 杏吧专区渉ave access to resources and services they may need, from their first to last day of classes, through graduation and the transition into their chosen careers,杏吧专区 according to a Gates Foundation press release.
Photo caption: UL Lafayette political science major Michael Jayden King (Photo courtesy of Micheal Jayden King)