In order for the United States to reach President Obama’s ambitious goal of attaining the highest graduation rates in the world by 2020, he is going to need help on a variety of fronts.
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is providing just that. Over 75 Gates Millennium Scholars hail from the greater Atlanta metropolitan region and wiill be recognized at a special reception hosted by Mayor Kasim Reed at Atlanta City Hall Thursday, May 13. What is much more impressive and much more important about Gates Scholars is this: Gates Scholars boast an average graduation rate of almost 80 percent, far higher than then national average.
The 1,000 students selected nationwide are joining over 13,000 Gates Scholars from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five American territories including American Samoa, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I want to congratulate the students from Atlanta who have been accepted into the Gates Millennium Scholars Program,” Mayor Reed said. “This program, our nation’s largest source of minority scholarships, enables thousands of dynamic students to attend college and ultimately become some of our nation’s best and brightest leaders.”
The “good-through-graduation” college scholarships can be applied at the college or university of the recipients’ choice. It can also include graduate study through a doctoral degree in seven academic disciplines.
Established in 1999 with the goal of developing the next generation of leaders for the global economy, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition to financial assistance, Gates Millennium Scholars receive academic support, mentoring and leadership training.
“The 20,000 young men and women who will attend college as Gates Millennium Scholars will make a major contribution to helping the United States fulfill President Obama’s goal of regaining for America world leadership in the proportion of citizens with college degrees,” said Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO. “The Gates Millennium Scholars Program is an investment in both the futures of these students and the country’s economic and social strength and competitiveness.” –terry shropshire
