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Angelita C. Garcia is extremely thankful
these days. That's because she snagged a full four-year scholarship
to school.
Independence
and Responsibility Reaps Rewards
By Feona Sharhran Huff
April 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick --
Angelita C. Garcia did something few do in their teen years. She
stepped up to the plate and assumed full responsibility for her
food, shelter, clothing, health, and educational expenses. In other
words, Angelita left her parents' nest egg at sweet 16 and began
taking care of herself.
That's right, she made a conscious decision
backed by action to pay for her life's expenses. It was Angelita's
way of teaching herself about responsibility -- and responsible,
she was! Instead of exclaiming "free at last," knowing
that she would no longer be under the watchful eye of family and
immediately dialing up her best buds for non-stop house parties,
Angelita continued attending Anaheim High School, Anaheim, CA. Plus,
she got a part-time job to pay the bills.
Angelita's hard work and dedication toward
excellence paid off, both academically and financially. That's because
she graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and was accepted into
Cal State University-Fullerton (Fullerton, CA), where she is currently
majoring in liberal studies.
And what about the financial part of the equation,
you ask? She was awarded a full four-year scolarship to help her
fufill her dream of becoming a teacher! Although she had to worry
about out-of-pocket expenses way before other teens, she was granted
a free ride for college tuition, room and board, books, and food.
Angelita is one of the 4,100 recipients of
The Gates Millennium Scholarship. "This scholarship means so
much to me," says Angelita, now a second-semester freshman
at Cal State Fullerton.
The scholarship program, funded by a grant
through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, allows minority students
the chance to get a college education -- something that is oftentimes
put on hold because of cost factors. This is particuarly the case
for those students who plan to study mathematics, science, engineering,
education, or library science.
Angelita was one of 62,000 high school students
to apply for the unique scholarship, which was administered for
the first time this year. What's different about the Gates Millennium
Scholars is that it grants recipients more than a paid-in-full college
education. They also get guidance and support throughout their college
stay, something of which Angelita is taking full advantage.
In fact, when recently attending a day-long
leadership conference sponsored by the scholarship program, Angelita
and other scholars were treated to pointers on how to build on their
leadership skills. That's a skill that can come in quite handy,
says Angelita, on her journey to becoming a teacher.
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