Their school districts are the first co-winners in the history of The Broad (pronounced like “road”) Prize, recognized last year for being the most improved urban school districts in the country.
Each year, The Broad Foundation awards $1 million in college scholarships to winners and finalits for The Broad Prize, the nation’s largest education award honoring urban school districts that have demonstrated the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among income and ethnic groups.
In 2014, The Broad Prize review board named only two finalists, citing their disappointment with the progress of urban education since the launch of the prize in 2002. The finalists were both named winners, and each received $500,000 in scholarships. The Broad Foundation announced earlier this year that it was putting The Broad Prize on pause because of the slow pace of school improvement and the changing landscape of K-12 public education. The foundation will continue to administer The Broad Prize scholarship program while the prize is paused.
“While The Broad Prize is on pause, we are proud to continue supporting talented, hard-working students in urban public schools,” said Bruce Reed, president of The Broad Foundation, a national education philanthropy based in Los Angeles. “The Broad Prize scholars show how much students can achieve despite great odds. We congratulate them and wish them well as they pursue their goals.”
Unlike traditional scholarships, most of which go to students with the strongest academic records, Broad Prize scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who, like their school districts, demonstrate a record of improvement throughout high school and who have financial need.
Broad Prize scholars receive two- or four-year scholarships depending on the type of institution they choose to attend. Scholarship recipients who enroll in four-year institutions receive $20,000 paid out over four years ($5,000 per year). Students who enroll in two-year institutions receive $5,000 scholarships paid out over two years ($2,500 per year). The scholarship selection and disbursement process is managed by Scholarship America.
Below is a full list of this year’s scholarship recipients. They join more than 1,200 Broad Prize scholars nationwide who have received $16 million in college scholarships since the first Broad Prize was awarded in 2002.
Founded by entrepreneur Eli Broad and his wife Edythe, both graduates of Detroit Public Schools. The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a philanthropy that seeks to ensure that every student in an urban public school has the opportunity to succeed. Bringing together top education experts and practitioners, the foundation funds system-wide programs and policies that strengthen public schools by creating environments that allow good teachers to do great work and enable students of all backgrounds to learn and thrive. For more information, visit www.broadeducation.org and Facebook and Twitter @broadfoundation. For more information about The Broad Prize, visit www.broadprize.org.
The following 26 seniors from Gwinnett County Public Schools were selected to receive Broad Prize scholarships:
Sarah Dejene South Gwinnett High School
Elisa Diaz Meadowcreek High School
Jacque Evangelister Dacula High School
Lilah Evans Grayson High School
Brian Galeano Central Gwinnett High School
Makai Greaux Parkview High School
Abigail Harrison Gwinnett Online Campus
Anthony Jimmerson Meadowcreek High School
Simran Khoja Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Leslie Kumi Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Tiffany Leon Mountain View High School
Jack Mason Collins Hill High School
Jolee Mcmanus Brookwood High School
Michael Moise Grayson High School
Krina Patel Meadowcreek High School
Kyle Rouleau Peachtree Ridge High School
Alem Sahic Central Gwinnett High School
Nikolina Sandrk Berkmar High School
Ahadu Solomon Parkview High School
Krystal Stennett South Gwinnett High School
Huiying Su Peachtree Ridge High School
Brianna Valentine Duluth High School
Darisbell Valeriano Meadowcreek High School
Francisco Velazquez Shiloh High School
Aliyah Winfrey Archer High School
Paul Yang Peachtree Ridge High School
