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Mount Pleasant High School Senior Receives Prestigious Scholarship

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Mount Pleasant High School Senior Receives Prestigious Scholarship

Mount Pleasant High School senior Jose Liera has received The Gates Scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, full scholarship for exceptional, Pell-eligible, minority, high school seniors. Starting in 2018, the scholarship will be awarded to only 300 top student leaders each year with the intent of promoting their academic excellence through college graduation, and providing them the opportunity to reach their full potential.

With the launch of this program in 2017, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continues its long-standing commitment to helping outstanding minority students who come from low-income backgrounds realize their maximum potential. This prestigious scholarship program is based on evidence that by eliminating the financial barriers to college, an all-expenses-paid scholarship can enable high-potential, low-income minority students to excel in their course work, graduate college, and continue to be leaders throughout their lives.

In addition to funding, The Gates Scholarship will provide further support to Scholars, by engaging with them and their institutions in a variety of ways, to ensure they have access to the resources and services they need, from their first to last day of classes, through graduation and the transition to their chosen careers.

To apply, students must be a high school senior, from at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American, Pell-eligible, a US citizen, national, or permanent resident, and in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).  Additionally, a student must plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university.  An ideal candidate will have an outstanding academic record in high school (in the top 10% of his/her graduating class), demonstrated leadership ability (e.g., as shown through participation in community service, extracurricular, or other activities), and exceptional personal success skills (e.g., emotional maturity, motivation, perseverance, etc.).

Liera will attend Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California and major in Mathematics and Computer Science.  He is the son of Victor and Paula Liera.

Photo: Jose Liera

2019-06-11T16:00:34-05:00