Picture Perfect
A teen finishing high school in just three years and another teen who immigrated to the United States from West Africa are among Dunbar High School’s 2018 graduating seniors who have racked up millions of dollars in college scholarships offers.
Finishing high school in just three years is Jocelyn Mays, who intends to major in pre-medicine at Texas Christian University. She aspires to one day become a surgeon. Jocelyn was a member of the Dunbar High volleyball team and Sophisticated Ladies community service organization. She is one of Fort Worth ISD's nearly 30 graduates awarded full scholarships to TCU through its Community Scholars program.
Laurent Shumbusha is a first-generation college student who speaks five languages. He moved to the U.S. from West Africa at age 7. As a child, he and his mother were farmers who sold their vegetables to survive. Officials at Dunbar said that Laurent is no stranger to hard work and perseverance.
He too is a TCU Community Scholar. The award, designed to increase diversity at the university, offers $260,000 scholarships, that include an opportunity to study abroad, to students from the program’s 13 participating high schools, including schools in the Arlington, Dallas and DeSoto school districts.
Jocelyn and Laurent are among Dunbar High School graduating seniors who amassed more than $5 million in scholarships this year.
Other notable scholarship recipients from Dunbar include:
- Nayeli Frias, a first-generation college student who aspires to become a registered nurse. Nayeli, a TCU Community Scholar, intends to give back to the community and encourage younger children on the importance of getting an education. In her scholarship essays, Dunbar officials say Nayeli writes about “empowering her community to see past where they live to change their future.” She writes about fearing the unknown and the steps for “securing a better future;”
- Bria Blackwell, who received $316,000 in scholarship offers from Abilene Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, Louisiana Tech University, Langston University and Coe College;
- Davion Cotton, a Dunbar Wildcat defensive and offensive tackle and band member, who received $32,500 in scholarships from Texas Wesleyan University, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Delta Mu Boule and the Regional Black Contractors Association. Throughout high school, he was involved in various church activities and while working part time at a local home improvement supply store;
- Beyoncia Cox, who was offered $91,200 from Abilene Christian University and Langston University. She was the captain of the Prancing Kittens dance line and an officer of the Sophisticated Ladies.
Dunbar High School’s graduation ceremony took place Saturday, June 2. The Class of 2018 included 201 students, the school's largest graduating class in 12 years.
-FWISD-
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