Finding Funding: Four Winners
Shanya Robinson-Owen
Senior, George Washington Carver High School of Engineering, Phila, PA
Shanya Robinson-Owens has been offered a total of over $1 million in scholarship money from 30 different colleges. The George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science senior spent the last two years learning virtually because of the pandemic, something that has been a challenge for many students, particularly those of color.
That did not deter her from focusing on the next level of her education. Although Shanya didn’t set her expectations too high when applying to colleges, her hard work has paid off overwhelmingly.
“I didn’t expect to get this, I knew about the scholarships, but I didn’t expect it to be this much, at all,” she said. When asked about her college preferences, she says it is not the school that offers her the most handsome scholarship package. “I don’t want to base it off money and then I don’t like the school and not finish,” said Robinson-Owens. She plans to major in psychology. She is being recruited by Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, La Salle University in Philadelphia, Temple University in Philadelphia, Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri and Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania.
Jordan Nixon
Sr. Douglas County High School, Atlanta, Georgia
Jordan Nixon is only 17, yet she has been accepted at 39 colleges and universities and over $1.6 million in scholarship offers. She has applied to 50 schools and is still receiving acceptance letters.
The Douglas County High school senior in Atlanta, Georgia, has hopes to attend a school with a diverse student body while majoring in International Business.
Nixon was overwhelmed by the acceptance letters. “The crazy thing is, I’m still waiting on decision letters, but I was not expecting that at all.”
Antoinette Love
International High School, New Orleans, LA
Antoinette Love, a senior at the International High School of New Orleans, was unanimously accepted into each of the 115 schools she applied to and has been presented with a total of $3.7 million in scholarships.
Love advised other college hopefuls on the brink of filling out applications to “seek out as many fee waivers as possible and to only apply to schools that they really want to attend.”
The savvy student used several resources in her quest for higher education, such as her high school counselors, the Common Application, – a tool that allows students to apply to more than 800 colleges and universities around the country. Another great resource was the Common Black College Application, which she used to apply to 50 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
To get a head start, she completed two semesters in dual enrollment at Delgado Community College.
Love plans to begin college in the fall and major in elementary education.
The senior has been inducted into the National Senior Beta Club, the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society and Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society.
Jakelia Baker
Lucy C. Laney High School, Augusta, Georgia
Jakelia Baker, the valedictorian of the class of 2019 at Lucy C. Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia, sported a 4.1 GPA and competed in five sports – basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis, and soccer.
Despite the pre-pandemic college admissions scandal which caused many to lose faith in the system, Jakelia Baker applied for and was accepted into more than 50 schools and awarded over $1 million in scholarship funding.
“It really boosted my confidence and my self-esteem because I honestly didn’t think that I could achieve such a big goal,” said Baker
Jakelia was in the marching band, Math Team, Student Council, National Honor Society, and Academic Decathlon.
But it was using her time studying and playing sports that earned approximately $1.3 million in scholarship funding.
She credits the support of her mother, retired Army veteran Denise Richards, for keeping her on track, calling her “my top motivator.”
Baker said she applied to around 65 schools and was able to in part because she reached out and was eligible for application fee exemptions or waivers.
Her advice for high schoolers applying to college: “Never give up.”
[Note: This segment was originally printed in 2019. Since we missed it last year, we decided to pay it forward -EH]
