TAHLEQUAH,
Okla. This year, six Sequoyah High School seniors have been
named as Gates Millennium Scholars resulting in the school to have
the second highest number of Native American scholars in the country.
It is very rewarding to see Sequoyah students succeed
in being selected for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, said
Leroy Qualls, SHS superintendent. Our students are not just
great kids, but great role models for Sequoyah. Were very
proud of our scholars.
The six students are Nicole Mangels, of Broken Arrow; Tyler
Handle and Nathalie Tomasik, of Tahlequah; Rikki Duvall and Zane
Kee, of Stilwell; and Lakin Keener, of Hulbert.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awards 1,000 minority
students, 150 of which are Native American, each year up to $250,000
in college scholarships per scholar. The scholarship is based on
a 3.5 GPA, community service hours, leadership and eight written
essays. Since 2002, Sequoyah has produced 54 Gates Scholars.
The application process was really grueling, said
Keener, 18. I spent six months on it. I probably spent two
months on one essay alone.
Tomasik, 18, said its a dream to attend college out of
state without having to go into debt.
When I found the letter, I waited for a little while just
staring at it, scared to open it, she said. When I finally
read it, I started crying when it all hit me.
This years scholars plan to attend the following universities:
- Mangels plans to join her brother, a 2012 Gates recipient,
at the University of Tulsa and major in athletic training.
- Handle plans to attend the University of Kansas and major
in computer science.
- Duvall plans to attend the University of Tulsa and major
in athletic training.
- Kee plans to attend Oklahoma City University and double major
in instrumental music education and chemistry or physics.
- Keener plans to attend Oklahoma State University and major
in design.
- Tomasik plans to attend the American Music and Dramatic Academy
College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts in New York City
and major in performing arts.
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