Dual Enrollment Students Receive Gates Scholarship

April 23, 2024

Motlow State Community College’s Early College Program at LaVergne High School in Rutherford County allows high school students to obtain their associate degrees from Motlow as part of their high school curriculum. Two graduates from this year’s cohort of Early College Graduates are 2024 recipients of the prestigious Gates Foundation Scholarship.

Pictured left to right: Kevonna Wilson and Brianna Sowell

The Gates Foundation Scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship that selects outstanding minority students from low-income households. To qualify, students must be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, have a GPA between 3.3 and 4.0 on a four-point scale, have demonstrated leadership and success skills, and plan to attend a four-year degree program. Application for this scholarship opens in July, and the Foundation selects recipients in April of the following year.

Kevonna Wilson and Brianna Sowell both achieved a 4.0 GPA on a four-point scale and plan to major in Psychology. Wilson is a basketball player, Key Club member, and BETA Club member who plans to attend Spelman University in Atlanta in the hopes of one day becoming a social worker. Sowell is the class Salutatorian and a volleyball player who plans to attend Belmont University.

According to Hope Bakari, Assistant Principal and Dual Enrollment Coordinator of LaVergne High School, “Out of 53,000 applicants nationwide, 750 students received this incredible opportunity. Both Brianna and Kevonna have worked diligently throughout their high school career, driven by their commitment to excellence. This obviously has paid off for them immensely. Education has the power to transform lives, and to be able to complete their educational journey without the worry of future debt is a true blessing for their entire family. I am so excited for them!”

Both students exhibit great promise and exemplify Motlow’s mission of Student Success. To learn about dual enrollment at Motlow and the benefits of starting college early, visit motlow.edu/students/high-school/dual-enrollment/ or contact dualenrollment@mscc.edu.