Two standout seniors at the high school have been selected as Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS), a distinction earned by 1,000 students nationwide annually.
Lois Evans and Malikia Hamilton earned the prestigious scholarship award based on their strong leadership, community service and academic achievements. They were selected for the GMS Class of 2015 from a pool of 57,000 applicants, one of the most competitive candidate groups in the program's history. The honor distinguishes Evans and Hamilton each as a"Leader for America's Future."
As Gates Millennium Scholars, Evans and Hamilton will receive full scholarships to the undergraduate institutions of their choice. In addition, the renewable scholarship may provide fellowship funding for Evans' and Hamilton's graduate and doctorate studies, should they choose to pursue a concentration in the fields of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.
Evans is the salutatorian of the Class of 2015. She will graduate in June with a GPA of 102.12, and earned the Advanced Designation Diploma with Honors and Mastery in Science. She completed 13 Honors courses and four Advanced Placement courses. She's been on the High Honor Roll each year since ninth-grade, and earned perfect scores of 100 on the U.S. History Regents and English Regents. She is also a member of the school's Key Club, Peer Leaders, Sinfonietta, Pit Orchestra, Lacrosse, Tennis and Teen Band. She has also held leadership positions in Student Government, Mock Trial, and the Class of 2015, of which she has been the president for the past three years. She will be majoring in English and Comparative Literature at New York University in the Fall.
Hamilton will graduate in June having earned the Advanced Designation Diploma with Mastery in Math and Science, and completed 13 Honors courses and six Advanced Placement courses. She has participated in the Peace March, Breast Cancer Walk and Autism Walk, and has been a member of the Book Club, 21st Century Club, Student Government, Class of 2015, Peer Tutoring, Vintage, Yearbook Club, French Club and National Honor Society, of which she has served as the director of community service since her sophomore year. Hamilton has also been a member of the tennis, badminton and basketball teams, and won the Coach's Award, the Heart and Hustle Award, the Most Improved Player Award and the Iron Man Award. Hamilton is considering attending George Mason University and majoring in business in the Fall.