GW Awards D.C. High School Students Full Rides

Dayna Hudson of Thurgood Marshall Academy (center) is congratulated by her mother as she learns she will attend GW on a full four-year GW Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship.

In a standing-room-only assembly at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts
surrounded by their classmates, teachers and families, nine D.C. high school seniors got the news of a lifetime: full, four-year scholarships worth more than $200,000 to attend GW.

Now in its 20th year, the GW Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship program has provided 108 students with scholarships that cover tuition, room, board, books and fees.

“We congratulate these nine students for their academic achievements, leadership potential and community involvement,” said Dr. Knapp, who was on hand to present the scholarships at the April 3 ceremony. “We are pleased to continue this commitment to students in the District of Columbia and look forward to welcoming these scholars to our campus in the fall.”

This year’s recipients of the GW Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarships include: Jasmin Cook, Hannah During and Malissa Wilkins of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School; Whitley Lucio of Duke Ellington School of the Arts; Alyssa Edwards of School Without Walls; Dayna Hudson of Thurgood Marshall Academy; and Joseph Church, Charlie Pulliam-Moore and Hong-Qian Zhu of Woodrow Wilson High School.

The students plan to pursue a variety of academic fields, including mechanical and
aerospace engineering, international affairs, psychology, journalism, biology and theater.

“Being an SJT scholar has effectively opened up nearly every door to every academic
path I’d ever dreamed of,” says Pulliam-Moore. “Not being bound by financial constraints anymore has just taken this immense weight off of my shoulders and allowed me to really look forward to attending college in the fall with my educational
pursuits in mind. It’s liberating to say the least.”

Wilkins says she was in “total disbelief” when she learned the news on stage. “Tears fell from my eyes as I walked across the stage into the arms of my waiting, excited parents,” she says. “Receiving the scholarship was a most surprising, remarkable
experience—one that both relieved and overjoyed my soul.”

GW selects students based on class rank, GPA, SAT scores, course of study, teacher recommendations, leadership qualities, community service and other extracurricular activities and achievements, as well as demonstrated need. Students are nominated
for the awards by their high school counselors and then begin the scholarship application and interview process.

Renamed for former President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, now GW president emeritus and University professor of public service, in 1998, the scholarships,
along with other grants and work-study programs, make GW the largest single post-secondary contributor of aid to students from D.C. Public Schools for nearly two decades. The University has committed more than $13 million to the program to date.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu