A high school student enrolled in the federally funded Upward Bound program at Pima Community College’s Desert Vista Campus has been named a Gates Millennium Scholar.
Fatima Gomez, a Desert View High School senior, was only one of 1,000 Class of 2015 scholarship winners from approximately 52,000 applicants across the country.
Carlos Romero, Upward Bound Program Coordinator at PCCDesert Vista, said Gomez is ranked sixth in her class of 371 students and has a 4.22 cumulative weighted GPA.
The scholarship will cover the entire cost of tuition, books, fees and living expenses at any accredited college or university in the United States. Gomez had planned to attendThe University of Arizona, but now is considering other options in light of the award, Romero said.
“Fatima has worked extremely hard in high school,” PCC’s Romero said. “Every one of her core classes has been either an honors or advanced placement course, demonstrating her willingness to challenge herself.”
Gates Scholars are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including their answers to eight essay questions, statements of support from a nominator and reference, a minimum 3.3 grade point average, and leadership in community service and extracurricular activities.
The scholarship is renewable for four years of college as long as the student makes satisfactory academic progress. In addition, if Gomez pursues a graduate degree in computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science, she may be able to continue the scholarship until that degree is completed.
In 1999, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, which has funded 17,000 scholars with more than $845 million in scholarships. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) administers the program. To reach, coordinate and support the constituent groups, UNCF has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to assist in implementing the program.