Springing It on the Scholars

April 20, 2004

GW Surprises 10 DC Public School Students with Opportunity of a Lifetime

By Claire Duggan

One of The George Washington University’s favorite events — the presentation of the annual Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarships — cut through a damp spring day to warm the hearts of all those on hand. GW representatives paraded through six DC public schools on their mission to herald the news of full four-year scholarships for 10 of the city’s leading high school seniors.

“It’s certainly one of the most uplifting and anticipated moments of the year for me,” said Sammie T. Robinson, associate director of undergraduate admissions.
This year, aboard a van dubbed the “Prize Patrol,” Robinson and his crew visited six schools in six hours, surprising the seniors with full scholarships to GW.

“I can’t tell you what a blessing this is,” said Maurice Brown, a senior at Eastern High School. “Knowing I can afford this is such a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.”

The award is a complete package covering tuition, room and board, books, and fees for exceptional students of DC public schools — valued at $180,000 over four years.

“Students in the District are our children, and GW has to carry a certain amount of responsibility for that,” said President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. “We can serve as an example to others and provide these accomplished young people with what we do best: higher education.”

“It just feels good,” said Emmanuella DuPlessy, a Presidential Administrative Fellow and professional assistant to Vice President for Government, International and Corporate Affairs Richard Sawaya, who helped welcome the latest class of Trachtenberg Scholars. “It’s the only way to describe it. As a GW alum, I’m really proud of what the University has done for so many years to help these exceptional DC students.”

Almost all of the recipients had learned only the day before that they were accepted into GW’s class of 2008.

“People were congratulating me and I thought my dad had just bragged about me getting in [to GW] the day before,” said Duke Ellington High School senior Davie Yarborough. “I didn’t realize some of these teachers were maybe talking about the scholarship award.”

Since he had filed as an early decision applicant, Brown knew he had been accepted to GW more than three months before he learned about being accepted into the Trachtenberg Scholarship Program. Though he tried not to worry about it, he had been anxious about whether or not he could afford to attend GW.

“I’ve been soaring all week,” Brown said a few days after the announcement. “I am very excited to come to GW. I have my whole life planned and this scholarship is the reason why.”

Brown, who has already charted a path leading him to medical school, said he plans to “stay completely focused on academics” while also “learning to manage my time better so that I can enjoy the fun things at GW, stay involved with my church.”

Duke Ellington’s Yarborough has a similar challenge balancing a tough course load and extra-curricular activities. “I intend to major in communications and minor in both French and Spanish,” she said. “I’m also excited to have free time and I think I will look into club softball. I know I definitely want to work at the student radio station.”

Brown’s plans epitomize the goal of the program — to nurture these students to one day be leaders in the District. “If we assure they can become all they can be then we can help create the next generation of leaders,” Trachtenberg said. “These students are the people that are going to be the heart of DC in the years to come.”

This year’s other awardees include: Lindsey Brown, Janaiha Nelson and Chinyere Offor, Benjamin Banneker High School; Myo-Sabai Aye, Bell Multicultural High School; Andre Lindsey and Aisha Russell, School Without Walls; Katia Thomas, Woodrow Wilson High School.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu