Kennesaw Mountain High Student Wins Gates Millennium Scholarship

Out of 54,000 applicants nationwide, one Kennesaw Mountain High student has been selected to receive the Gates Millennium Scholarship.

Senior Jayson Toweh is among the 1,000 winners of the prestigious scholarship, which is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"This scholarship is (a) full ride throughout undergraduate and graduate school for any college of my choice," Toweh wrote on his Facebook page. "I am overcome with joy right now because without this scholarship my family physically would not be able to pay for my college."

The UNCF Gates Millennium Scholars Program is open to African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with a demonstrated record of scholastic achievement, leadership and community service.

The amount of the scholarship varies, and is based on financial need, the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses for the 2013-2014 academic year, as well as the availability of grants and other scholarships reported on the financial aid award letter.

"The program is known for its recipients' high graduation rates – a six-year rate of 86 percent (38 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students) and comparable to the rates for students from high-income families," Gates Millennium Scholars Program spokeswoman Mary Williams said in a news release announcing the winners.

In all, five of this year's Gates scholars are products of the Cobb County School District. Three of the winners—Brittany Davis, Halimo Hassen and Nnennia Mazagwu—will graduate next Friday from South Cobb High. Queentela Benjamin of Campbell High School was that school's recipient.

Another winner, Christopher Lee of the McCallie School, a private boys boarding school and day school in Chattanooga, Tenn., is from Kennesaw, according to the release from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

Toweh, who will graduate from Kennesaw Mountain next Saturday, will attend the University of Michigan.

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