Two Woodlawn High School Students Named Gates Millennium

Two Woodlawn High School Students Named Gates Millennium Scholars BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (APRIL 21, 2015) – Two students in the Top 5 of the senior class at Woodlawn High School have been selected to receive Gates Millennium scholarships for the Class of 2015. They are Trey R. Hawkins and Jarrell Jordan, both 18. Only 1,000 students are selected nationally for the scholarships, which will help pay for a student’s undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. Selected students must meet several requirements including having at least a 3.3 GPA, be a minority, demonstrate leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities, etc. The United Negro College Fund administers the scholarships, which are paid for by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. If you would like interviews with the students, please call me at 444-­‐9279. Attached is a photo of Trey R. Hawkins, left, and Jarrell Jordan. Trey R. Hawkins is No. 1 in the senior class at Woodlawn and will be valedictorian. He’s been accepted by nearly 30 colleges. Prior to learning that he’d received the Gates Millennium scholarship, he had amassed nearly $1.5 million in academic scholarships. He plans to study bio medical science or business on the pre-­‐med track at Howard University. Trey knows how to play 18 instruments, is a member of Woodlawn’s concert and jazz bands, is a member of the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra, and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House once a week. Once Trey finishes college, he wants to go to medical school and return to Birmingham to open clinics in low-­‐income areas. “I must give back to my community. You know how they say, ‘It takes a village to raise a child?’ It wasn’t just my family who raised me. It was my whole community,’’ he said. “I can’t wait to be in D.C. It seems that being in that area will bring out the best in me.’’ Jarrell Jordan is No. 5 in the senior class at Woodlawn. He applied to 70 colleges and received acceptance letters from 45. Prior to receiving word about the Gates Scholarship, he had amassed nearly $700,000 in academic scholarship offers. He will attend Morehouse College. Although he had been accepted to Morehouse College, he had not received a scholarship from Morehouse. He said to receive the Gates scholarship, “was great.’’ This summer, he will intern at City Hall in the Mayor’s Office. Jarrell has aspirations of becoming mayor of Birmingham and then governor of Alabama. Both students are part of Woodlawn’s Academy of Business and Finance, where Trey is president. Quote from Dr. Horn, Birmingham City Schools Interim Superintendent on the students’ achievements: "These students have worked hard during their time with Birmingham City Schools and we are all extremely proud of their accomplishments. They are great examples of the hard work and dedication our 24,000-­‐plus students put in every day to excel academically to prepare themselves for postsecondary careers and the high level of instruction our teachers deliver each day. Again congratulations on a job well done." Quote from Jesse Daniel, principal at Woodlawn High School: “I’m very, very proud of them. I know it took hard work, dedication and a passion for learning. I’m glad to be able to provide an avenue for them to learn.’’