Academically bright, but leaders too in their communities.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Several Indian American students were among those who were inducted into the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholars program, which was established in 1999 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with the purpose of providing academic scholarships to high-achieving students for higher education.
According to the official website, in order to qualify for the scholarship award, applicants must have a 3.3 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, possess outstanding leadership abilities, demonstrate significant financial need, and plan to enroll for the first time at an accredited U.S. college or university. Additionally, applicants must be a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States, and be of African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American heritage.
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The program is administered by the United Negro College Fund and partner organizations including the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, and the American Indian Graduate Center. Since its inception, the scholarship has paid for more than 20,000 students to attend colleges and universities, and has awarded more than $614 million for education costs including tuition, fees, books and housing, reported the Washington Post.
“We are excited to welcome the class of 2015 Gates Millennium Scholars,” said Larry Griffith, Senior Vice President, Programs and Student Services for UNCF, in a media release. “Their GMS program peers have already demonstrated that students from these backgrounds are rich in talent and that they excel at the highest levels in any of the nation’s colleges and universities they choose to attend. I am confident that this cohort of extraordinary students will add to the depth and breadth of the GMS program.”
Indian American and South Asian origin scholarship winners among the list included:
- Acharya, Tika | Dallas, TX | Emmett J Conrad H S, TX
- Adhikari, Brindan | Denver, CO | Standley Lake High School, CO
- Beharry, Vidur |Bronx, NY | Dewitt Clinton High School, NY
- Bhangu, Navreet |Wayne, MI |Wayne Memorial High School, MI
- Chhokar, Kirandeep | Vista, CA Mission Vista High, CA
- Chowdhury, Nahiyan | Skokie, IL | Niles North High School, IL
- Hassan, Umar | Minneapolis, MN | South Senior High, MN
- Kainth, Priya | Anaheim, CA | Savanna High, CA
- Nishat, Anika |Indianapolis, IN | Lawrence North High School, IN
- Noorani Alishan | Sugar Land, TX | Clements H S, TX
- Patel, Jay | Woodburn, OR |Academy Of International Studies (At Woodburn), OR
- Patel, Sahil | Hickory, NC | Robert L Patton High, NC
- Rai, Ash | Omaha, NE | Central High School, NE
- Rajkumar, Cindy| Ocoee, FL |Ocoee High, FL
- Ramnani, Sarai | Bullhead City, AZ | Mohave High School, AZ
- Zindani, Kiran | Carrollton, TX | Creekview H S, TX