Six Utah high school seniors have their future educations paid for through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Millennium Scholarships, good for any higher education expense, anywhere they want to go, for up to 10 years.
The award bowled over Riverton High senior Monica Wolfgramm, who lives with her grandparents in Midvale. She has shouldered recent disappointments and has been fretting over how she'll pay for college. It also lent credence to her resolve: Never give up.
"This scholarship has restored my hope," said Wolfgramm, who hopes to study French and international business at Brigham Young University Hawaii and last year raised funds for her own study-abroad trip. "Anything's possible; you just have to believe in yourself."
The Gates Millennium Scholars program, funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to provide scholarships to more than 20,000 low-income and ethnic-minority students in 20 years.
The other Utah recipients are: Alejandrina "Drina" Garcia of the Academy of Math, Engineering and Science in Salt Lake; Krystian Perez of Mountain View in Alpine; Selaafu Tauteoli of Cyprus in Granite; Moana Uluave at East in Salt Lake City; and Tony Valdez of Murray High School.
Each of them was college bound. Many already have earned college credits. But the Gates scholarship will ensure they won't have to struggle financially while learning.
Tauteoli calls that "a huge blessing."
"I would never allow money to be an issue to stop me from attaining a higher education," said Tauteoli, who plans to study to become a pediatrician. "My biggest motivation for my education was my parents . . . they came here to better my education as well as my siblings'. They've been through a lot of sacrifices and struggles on my behalf . . . it's kind of an inspiration to me."
About 1,000 students nationwide this year will be chosen to receive the scholarship, administered through the United Negro College Fund, which is good for tuition, room and board, meals, books and even some study-abroad programs.
More than 10,000 students nationwide so far have benefitted from the scholarship. Recipients must qualify for Pell Grant assistance, have at least a 3.3 GPA and demonstrate leadership.
Valdez has a 4.0 GPA, plays guitar, is part of Murray's varsity lacrosse team, the National Honor Society and the school's Renaissance Club, which works to recognize students' achievements. He has a full-tuition undergraduate scholarship to the University of Utah; the Gates scholarship will cover other expenses.
Perez, who also maintains perfect grades, just took five Advanced Placement classes and is a drum major in his school's marching band, part of Provo Youth Government and student pro tempore of the school's Student Senate, helping the student council in decision making. The scholarship will allow him to enjoy the campus experience at BYU, where he plans to study chemical engineering.
Garcia is an ambassador in first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman's "Power In You" program, the Boys & Girls Clubs' Utah State Youth of the Year and often volunteers to help children, be it at an elementary school or the Children's Center working with emotionally and behaviorally troubled pre-schoolers.
"I like helping people," said Garcia, who will study in the U.'s honors program and hopes to become a child psychologist. "I like giving back to the community."
Sometimes, the students' desire to give back — well, gives back.
Uluave, who said she's held on to her dreams despite what she calls "messages that a Glendale student can't make it," last week met Oprah Winfrey, who is honoring her and 50 other American high school students for their award-winning essays on the Holocaust memoir, "Night," by Jewish writer Elie Wiesel.
"(Some) of the most powerful people in the world — I can't believe it!" Uluave said of her brushes with Oprah and the Gateses.
The Uluave family already has a connection to the Microsoft giant's foundation scholarship, though: Uluave's sister, Lavinia, was named a Millennium Scholar a couple of years ago.
"It doesn't matter where you come from, it's what you do with what you have," said Uluave, who wants to study English at the U. "I had a good foundation with my parents, who instilled in me good values and that education is the key to the American dream. And I think I'm going to be living it when Bill Gates pays for my school."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com