Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

2016 Math and Science Scholars Named in Urban Schools

  • 06/13/16

Council of the Great City Schools Awards ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Scholarships

Washington, D.C. (Business Wire) — Four graduating high school seniors have been selected by the Great City Schools (CGCS) to receive the 2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship. They were chosen from several hundred applicants across the nation for their academic performance, leadership qualities and community involvement.

Now in its seventh year, the scholarship was created by former NASA astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., the first African American to walk in space, and ExxonMobil to encourage and assist promising students of diverse backgrounds who plan to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies after high school.
The awards are given annually to African-American and Hispanic seniors from high schools in the 70 urban school districts represented by CGCS.

“These highly competitive scholarships give talented urban students a boost in their pursuit of postsecondary STEM studies and careers,” said Michael Casserly, executive director, Council of the Great City Schools. “The generous support of Dr. Harris and ExxonMobil helps advance these young men and women as they begin the next stage of their lives.”

Each scholar will receive $5,000 for continued education in a STEM-related field. This year’s award winners are:

  • Michael Benben, Western High School, Broward County (FL) Public Schools
  • Francesca Rafaella Dupuy, Cooper City High School, Broward County (FL) Public Schools
  • Eillen Daniela Martinez, Timber Creek High School, Orange County (FL) Public Schools
  • Dalan Omar Smallwood, Strawberry Crest High School, Hillsborough County (FL) School District.

In the fall, Benben plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and aspires to major in mechanical engineering. Dupuy will be studying environmental engineering at the University of Florida. Martinez hopes to become a doctor and will attend Johns Hopkins University, while Smallwood, who will study biophysics and also has aspirations to be a physician, will attend the University of North Carolina.

“Reading the achievements and aspirations of these young people is truly inspirational,” said Dr. Harris. “It’s my hope that the scholarships they receive will propel them to a future of fulfilling their dreams.”

Administration of the scholarship program, including the application process, pre-selection and presentation of awards, is provided by the CGCS. Dr. Harris makes the final selection of recipients. For more information, visit www.cgcs.org.

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.