Newswise — WASHINGTON (March 18, 2015)—The college decision-making process got a little easier for several D.C. high school students today when Steven Knapp, president of the George Washington University, hand-delivered acceptance letters and full-ride scholarships to nine unsuspecting students.
“The best part of my job is giving these scholarships to such talented and hardworking young women and men," Dr. Knapp said. "I am always moved by the joy and excitement it creates not just in the recipients themselves but equally in their classmates." Throughout the day, the GW Prize Patrol—comprised of Dr. Knapp, George the mascot, and admissions staff—pulled up to high schools across the city, first greeting each student’s family members so that they could also witness the special moment. As the prize patrol entered classrooms and auditoriums, several deserving students became emotional when they realized their GW education would be free.
For more than 25 years, GW has opened the door to higher education to high school students in D.C. through the university’s Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship (SJT) program. The GW –SJT Scholarship Program provides academically exceptional students with full-ride scholarships that cover tuition, room, board, books and fees. The program has awarded scholarships to 155 students since the program began in 1989. The graduation rate for participants in the program is approximately 90 percent.
This year’s winners are:
Mario Velasquez of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School (Ward 1) dreams of earing a civil engineering degree and using it to improve living conditions in El Salvador, his home country.
Lashae Hunter of Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, Parkside High School, (Ward 7) worked at Do the Write Thing Foundation in D.C. for two summers where she and other students produced positive messages for peers through video, songs and poems.
Matthew Jenkins of KIPP DC College Preparatory (Ward 5) has memorized every United States president, along with their successes and failures.
Bruce Beuzard IV of KIPP DC College Preparatory (Ward 5) loves the look on people’s faces when he tells them not only is he an athlete, but he is a member of the robotics team at his school.
Byron Fullerton of McKinley Technology High School (Ward 1) will be the first SJT scholar to attend the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.
Carlos Palencia of the School Without Walls Senior High School (Ward 2) has held internships at organizations like Fannie Mae and HomeFree-USA, all before attending college.
Elissa Hipolito-Magsalin of St. John’s College High School (Ward 4) has worked throughout middle and high school. One of her biggest sources of motivation is setting an example of excellence for her six younger siblings.
Faith Hudson of Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School (Ward 8) is captain of a community step team and her high school’s cheerleading team. She has already taken classes at GW, including Introduction to British Literature and Introduction to American Politics.
Coumba Gueye of Washington Latin Public Charter School (Ward 4) went to Doha, the capital city of Qatar, to participate in QatarDebate as part of her school’s partnership with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.
“Our SJT scholars reflect a fantastic combination of determination, discipline and commitment to the community,” said Karen Stroud Felton, dean of admissions at GW. “We are proud to welcome these students to the class of 2019. They will become strong representatives of GW both on campus and throughout their careers.”
GW selects students based on GPA, strength of curriculum, recommendations, leadership qualities, community service, extracurricular activities and achievements and standardized test scores.
Students are nominated for the awards by their high school counselors and then participate in an interview process before being chosen. All D.C. residents graduating from an accredited high school in the District – public, charter or private – are eligible to receive the scholarship. The scholarships are renewed annually if the recipients meet the university’s academic progress standards.
Scholarship alumni are employed in a wide array of fields around the country, including medicine, law, business, finance, communication, secondary and higher education, research, engineering and the performing arts.
The merit-based scholarship program also supports the university’s efforts to expand higher education opportunities for low-income students. Other college access initiatives the university participates in include D.C. College Application Week, which is part of a national effort to increase the number of first-generation and low-income students who pursue a postsecondary education; an Early College Program at School Without Walls where students can pursue associate degrees from GW while still in high school; and the College Applications Workshop conducted by admissions staff every December to give D.C. high school juniors and seniors tips on how to prepare and submit their college applications.
More than 60 percent of GW students receive some form of financial aid from the university, and the number of GW students receiving Pell Grants has steadily increased from 9 percent in 2008-09 to 14 percent in 2013-14.
Multimedia ResourcesBroadcast-quality video, including interviews with students and footage of them receiving the scholarships
High-resolution photos of the students
The George Washington University In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.
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