Warren Early College graduate Joshua Alston recieves Gates Millennium Scholarship
By Luci Weldon
The Warren Record (Warrenton, NC)
May 29, 2014
warrenrecord.com
Joshua Alston, who graduated Friday from Warren Early College High School , has been awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship.
The scholarship program, established in 1999 by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is designed to enable low income African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline they choose. Alston was among 1,000 students across the country who were selected to receive scholarships, which provide leadership development opportunities to recipients in addition to funds for college.
He will receive what is known as a “last dollar” scholarship, meaning that the Gates scholarship will take care of remaining college financial needs that his other two scholarship awards do not cover.
Alston, the son of Carolyn Alston of Macon, has also received a $1,000 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority scholarship. In addition, he was awarded the Aubrey Lee Brooks Scholarship for students who will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University or the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Brooks Scholarship will award $12,000 for the first year of college studies and will be renewable for three additional years. The scholarship also provides $2,500 for computer hardware and software.
Alston credits Aimee Anderson, Warren Early College guidance counselor, with suggesting that he apply for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, as she did with the other two awards he received, and Principal Ryan Hurley for assistance in completing the application process.
In November 2013, Alston completed his application, which required a total of nine essays addressing a variety of topics from leadership to personal values. After that, he went about his school activities and work at Subway in Warrenton as usual, not expecting to be selected. In March of this year, Alston returned home from work to find a thick packet waiting for him. When he opened it, he discovered that he had been selected as a Gates Scholar.
“I was very surprised,” Alston said. “That is one of those scholarships that you apply for, but don’t see yourself getting.”
The Gates Millennium Scholarship will enable him to achieve the goal he set for his college education.
“At the beginning of the year, I said that I wanted to go to the school of my choice, and I wanted to go for free,” Alston said.
He will be entering the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall. Attending Warren Early College High School allowed Alston to earn a college Associate in Arts degree from Vance-Granville Community College in addition to his high school diploma, but he will enter UNC as a freshman with some college credits.
Alston hopes to become a physician and, ultimately, a surgeon. On the path toward his dreams, he hopes to travel to South America or parts of Africa on a humanitarian trip and also devote a year to work with a research foundation or to study cancer – all to make himself a better physician.
As Alston looks forward to the next steps toward reaching his goals, he encouraged younger students to strive to realize their full potential.
“Some people go their entire lives without reaching their potential,” Alston said. “If you reach, you can achieve anything you want.”
Above: Joshua Alston, a member of the Warren Early College High School Class of 2014, receives congratulations from Warren Early College Principal Ryan Hurley for being awarded the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship.
Reprinted with permission of The Warren Record.
