College Scholarships

Every DPS student deserves a debt-free college education.

In case you missed it, we are now continuing DPS Scholarship Foundation’s 40 year history of awarding scholarships to DPS graduating seniors (our two organizations merged in 2021.)

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Learn About College Scholarship Funds

We are thrilled to announce our 2022 scholarship recipients!

Spring 2022 Recipients

In spring 2022, we awarded $59,500 in college scholarships to 25 graduating DPS students.

**Aleina Gomes**

**First Generation Scholarship**
Aleina will be attending Durham Tech this fall after graduating from Jordan High School. She is excited to begin her journey toward a career in Nursing, and is inspired by her own health experiences in childhood. She shares that she was treated by “gentle and kind-hearted” nurses who truly cared about her as a person.

**Alicia Patterson**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Hillside New Tech High School**
Alicia is passionate about reducing racial disparities in healthcare and labor and delivery. In her effort to make a difference, she plans to attend Winston Salem State University to study Nursing and minor in Sociology. She hopes “to provide care to everyone but also have the chance to be a voice and advocate for women that look like me.”

Allyson Lawrence

Durham Promise Scholarship at Jordan High School

Allyson will be studying Social Work this fall at East Carolina University. A graduate of Jordan High School, she shares that “college will allow me the ability to help others globally and be a leader in my community.” Her passion for helping others is inspired by her mom.

**Amonte McNair**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability**
Amonte plans to attend NC State University to study Accounting. He is inspired by his father who has made a profound impact on his life and future career interests. Amonte is a graduate of Southern High School.

**Ariana Vaida**

**Rachel Lawrence Scholarship**
Ariana will be staying in Durham for college to begin her undergraduate studies at Duke University. She plans to double major in Biology and Global Health as a pre-med student. A graduate of Hillside High School, she is committed “to partaking in community service as my contribution to promoting a safe and just environment for all.”

**Ariyana Leak**

**Kayla P. Radack Scholarship**
Ariyana will be pursuing her studies in the realm of Healthcare Management. Her shares that her aunt inspires her to reach her goals and pursue her dreams. Ariyana is a graduate of Riverside High School.

**Camille Clark**

**Dorothy Heatherington Memorial Scholarship**
Camille will be studying Biology at UNC Chapel-Hill. She shares that “research allows the pursuit of discovery. What mysteries lie within our world that are yet to be discovered?” Camille is a graduate of JD Clement Early College High School.

**Donnell Estes**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Riverside High School**
Donnell is headed to UNC Greensboro this fall to major in Biology with the goal of beginning a career in healthcare. He is excited to “find happiness in my profession by being a Black leader, and with that, I am eager to break the cycle of systemic trauma circulated in the medical field concerning African Americans.” Donnell is a graduate of Riverside High School.

Eva Mills

Kayla P. Radack Scholarship

After graduating from Riverside, Eva plans to study Psychology at Connecticut College. She is also passionate about performing music, and hopes to minor in a music-related field. Eva is inspired by her middle school chorus teacher, who is “the reason I was able to crawl out of my shell and discover my love for singing and performing.”

**Farishta Lodin**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Northern High School**
Farishta is excited to attend Durham Technical Community College this fall after graduating from Northern. She plans to become a doctor in the future, and has a passion for research. She shares that she “wants to find answers to questions and understand why things happen.”

**Javari Kendall**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Durham School of the Arts**
Javari believes that “Getting a college education would help me gain and learn life skills that I would need for the future.” He is a graduate of Durham School of the Arts and will be attending UNC Greensboro to study Kinesiology. His own experiences as a patient in the healthcare world inspire him to become a Physical Therapist.

**Jenna Clifford**

**Christopher Furr Scholarship**
Jenna is graduating from Northern High School this spring and is headed to Elon University to study psychology. She is led by her passion to serve her community and advocate for others.

**Kiki Kozak**

**Kayla P. Radack Scholarship**
Kiki is headed to UNC Chapel-Hill to major in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Studio Art. A graduate of Riverside High School, she hopes to one day become an Pediatric Occupational Therapist. Kiki is passionate about social justice and public schools. She shares: “I plan to give back to public schools in the same way that public schools have given so much to me.”

**Landus Robertson III**

**Golar W. and Nezzie V. Carter Scholarship**
Landus will be studying Computer Engineering at Louisiana State University this fall. He is passionate about data security and increasing minority representation in the cybersecurity industry. He believes that “everyone should have control over their personal information . . . I want to develop new ways to defend the data and personal information of people around the world.”

**Ler Noh**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Middle College High School**
Ler plans to attend Meredith College to study Business Administration. She is deeply inspired by her relationship with her father, who taught her that “nothing is impossible if we put in the effort and persevere.”

**Lydia Bolton**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at City of Medicine Academy**
Lydia plans to study Nursing at NC A&T this fall. A graduate of City of Medicine Academy, Lydia is excited to one day become a labor and delivery or neonatal nurse.

**Mia Santiago**

**Della Bradsher-Hedgepeth Memorial Scholarship**
Mia will be attending NC A&T this fall to pursue Forensic Science. A graduate of Hillside High School, Mia is inspired by her cousin and believes that hard work and dedication will help her achieve her college goals.

Michael

Norma Russell Scholarship

After graduating from Northern High School, Michael plans to attend Maine College of Art and Design to pursue a degree in Illustration. He shares that he was deeply impacted by one of his middle school teachers: “she has encouraged me to grow and become the person I need to be.”

Michelle

City of Medicine Academy Scholarship

After graduating from City of Medicine Academy this spring, Michelle will be attending UNC Charlotte and studying Exercise Science with the goal of becoming a physical therapist. Michelle shares that “when I deeply care about someone, I will go out of my way to make sure they are happy, even if it means doing things that may put me out of my comfort zone.”

Nathan McMurray

**Andrew Edward Crabtree Scholarship**
Nathan is a graduate of Riverside High School and plans to study English at DePaul University in Chicago. He is fascinated with music and pursuing his creative passions, even starting an independent music label in 2020 with a few of his friends. He looks forward to continuing to “grow as a person.”

**Omare Upchurch**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at Hillside High School**
After graduating from Hillside High School, Omare is headed to Howard University to pursue a career in Dentistry. He believes that “What people want to see is ‘action,’ so with everything I do I make sure I am showing people how great they can be, if they actually try.”

Richard Cruz-Torres

John T. Smith Memorial Scholarship

Richard will be attending NC A&T University this fall after graduating from Southern High School. He plans to major in Mechanical Engineering.

**Zanah Whitted**

**Durham Promise Scholarship at JD Clement Early College High School**
Zanah will be attending NC Central University this fall to study Business Administration with concentration in Entrepreneurship. She is excited by the prospect of one day becoming a real estate agent and starting her own small business. In her own words, she shares: “I would love to create a program within my business that helps younger students who want a career in real estate . . . there aren’t many opportunities or internships that offer the material and information needed.”

**Zoe Bright**

**Carlton G Miles Scholarship**
Zoe will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill this fall to pursue her passion in Political Science and Data Science. A graduate of Jordan High School, she believes that “being educated is the key to a future where I can give back to the community that raised me.”

Spring 2021 Recipients

In spring 2021, we awarded $61,000 in college scholarships to 26 graduating DPS students. Eleven students, one from each DPS high school, are each receiving a $3,000 Durham Promise Scholarship.

An additional 16 students are receiving scholarships established by community members, many of which honor or memorialize students and educators.

Congratulations to our 2021 Scholarship Awardees!

Katie Combs

**Christopher Furr Scholarship**
Katie is a graduate of Northern High School and will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill this fall to major in Biology. She states that she "plans to open my own pediatric clinic, open to all; those who can and can't necessarily afford it."

James DeBerry

**Selection Committee Scholarship**
James is a graduate of Hillside High School. He will be attending North Carolina A&T State University this fall and majoring in Biomedical Engineering. He is inspired to pursue this path because of his experiences with the healthcare system growing up. James shares that he "wants to go to college to make a change in the worlds of technology and medicine," particularly through researching and developing cost-efficient ways for people to access medically-necessary procedures.

Jess Foday

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Although Jess has accepted her admission offer at UNC Chapel-Hill, she won't start right away. Instead, she plans to complete a gap year of service through UNC's Global Gap Year Fellowship, immersing herself in different Latin American countries, cultures, and languages. A graduate of Durham School of the Arts, her passion lies with environmental journalism. In Jess's words, she hopes to "gain experiential knowledge by being present in the communities I want to help one day."

Melvin Garcia Garcia

**Dale Laree Stone Scholarship**
Melvin recently graduated from Jordan High School and will be headed out of state for college at the University of Southern California. He plans to study economics with the goal of eventually becoming a lawyer. Something that excites him is the prospect of advocating for immigrant families both inside and outside of the courtroom.

Iradukunda Gilbert

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Iradukunda graduated from Riverside High School and is planning to attend UNC Chapel-Hill in the fall. He will be majoring in Biology and aspires to become a biophysicist. He hopes to "give back to Society through my career in Research by using that knowledge to change the world."

Lamoura Gohi

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Lamoura is a graduate of Hillside New Tech. She will be attending North Carolina A&T State University this fall to begin her journey of pursuing a career in the medical field. She dreams to "create a space that allows minority patients to feel comfortable finding medical help from minority doctors."

Lauryn Goins

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Lauryn will be attending North Carolina Central University to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Medicine. A graduate of J.D. Clement Early College High School, Lauryn is already familiar with what it takes to be an Eagle. Her dream is to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy and represent young women of color in the field--particularly Black female doctors.

Sonia Green

**Rachel Lawrence Scholarship**
Sonia plans to attend Duke University to pursue her education in African and African American Studies, Creative Writing, and Documentary Studies. One of her goals during college is to "engage in academic research regarding underserved communities in order to further my understanding of the world around me." She is a graduate of Hillside High School.

Meri Gregory

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Meri will be attending UNC Asheville this fall to study Primary Education. She is passionate about pursuing her education license and "help guide our next generation of students." Although COVID-19 has turned the world upside down, Meriana states that "the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I am still determined to become a teacher for Durham Public Schools." Meriana is a graduate of the School for Creative Studies.

Esme Hernandez-Alvarez

**Kayla P. Radack Scholarship**
Esme looks forward to attending Appalachian State University this fall to pursue a career in Building Sciences and Construction Management. She is passionate about architecture and wants to build homes for families experiencing economic hardship in order to "make their dreams a reality." Esme is a graduate of Riverside High School.

Mateo Andrés Pedro Ignacio

**Baxter and Beth Teasley Scholarship**
Mateo is excited to begin his higher education journey at Durham Technical Community College this fall. A graduate of Jordan High School, he shared that "despite the challenges and the walls that stood in my way, I am fighting for my dreams and moving forward to achieve my goals."

Triniti Long

**John T. Smith Scholarship**
Triniti will be headed to North Carolina Central University to study Computer Information this fall. She is a recent graduate of Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, and shares that "it has always been my dream to pursue a career in computers."

Hilal Mangal

**Golar W. and Nezzie V. Carter Scholarship**
Hilal plans to attend Durham Technical Community College to study Automotive Systems Technology. He is inspired by watching his uncle work as a mechanic growing up, and he hopes to open his own car mechanic business one day. Hilal looks forward to helping his "family, friends, and community with any problems that they may have with their vehicles at affordable prices."

Miles

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Miles is headed to Guilford College to pursue Studio Art and Photography. He is a graduate of Hillside High School. Miles believes that photography is "a form of art that brings people together . . . Being able to capture people's happiest and most memorable moments in life is groundbreaking for me."

Yahir Fernando Paz-Ardon

**First Generation Scholarship**
Yahir is a graduate of Jordan High School and plans to attend Durham Technical Community College to pursue a career in Information Technology. He is passionate about his goal of becoming a software developer.

Mason Pickett

**Carlton Miles Scholarship**
Mason will be headed to North Carolina A&T State University to pursue Theater Technology. He believes that his "ultimate goal is to be able to be an inspiration to young men the same way my teachers have inspired me." Mason is a graduate of Hillside High School.

Karina Plasencia-Leos

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Karina will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill this fall to pursue a degree in Political Science with the goal of becoming a lawyer. A graduate of Northern High School, she is passionate about immigration justice. Karina dreams of a future where she can "break stereotypes, create opportunities and connections to create a much more successful community for not only ourselves but generations to come."

Darlene Rangel-Estrella

**Norma Russell Scholarship**
Darlene will be attending Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts this fall after her recent graduation from Northern High School. Her plan is to obtain a dual degree in Environmental Engineering and Landscape Architecture. Darlene is inspired by her passion for STEM and social justice.

Crystin Redden

**Della Bradsher Hedgepeth Scholarship**
A Hillside High School graduate, Crystin will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill this fall. She dreams of becoming a Neuropsychologist, and states that "attending college is the first step in turning her dream into a reality."

Bryan Santos-Hernandez

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Bryan will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill this fall after graduating from City of Medicine Academy. He plans to major in Biology on a pre-med track. Bryan is excited about pursuing a hands-on career with medicine; this and helping others is what drew him to the pharmacy profession.

Landin Sledge

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
A recent graduate of Middle College High School, Landin plans to begin his studies in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Motorsports at UNC Charlotte this fall. Reflecting on his experiences growing up, Landin states: "One of my first goals as a young child was to grow up and design a robot that would help those in needs with the basic life items that we all take for granted. As I head off to college that passion is what drives my decisions today."

Makayla Tedder

**Dorothy Heatherington Scholarship**
Makayla is a recent graduate of Hillside High School. She will be headed to Spelman College and majoring in Biology in the hopes of becoming a genetics counselor. In her own words, she is inspired to "teach young African-American girls the importance of a STEM education."

Maricarmen Vargas-Santos

**City of Medicine Academy Scholarship**
Maricarmen will be attending UNC Greensboro to study Biology and become a Physician Assistant. She is passionate and inspired by her family and volunteering in the community. She is a recent graduate of City of Medicine Academy.

Sophie Wilkins

**Andrew Edward Crabtree Scholarship**
Sophie graduated from Riverside High School and will be attending Mary Baldwin University in the fall. She has been involved in theater for many years and is excited to pursue this interest in college to "share her love of the stage and all that theaters have to offer." Along with theater, Sophie is passionate about international languages.

Maya Williams

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Maya is headed to North Carolina A&T State University and will be majoring in Nursing. She developed a passion for medicine during her time at Southern School of Energy & Sustainability and through her participation in medical-related internships. Maya shared that she is determined to shed light on the realities that Black women face when receiving medical care, such as being overlooked or not taken seriously. In her own words, she plans to "dedicate my career to the change."

Saleana Zheng

**Durham Promise Scholarship**
Saleana graduated from Jordan High School and will be attending UNC Chapel-Hill to study Business Administration. She is deeply inspired by the dedication and perseverence of her parents and their family restaurant, and hopes "to become a businesswoman myself."

Invest in Scholarships for DPS Students

Give Today!

Invest in Durham's future leaders by supporting college scholarships for DPS students. Your investment helps DPS students move on to higher education and careers.

To mail a check, please complete this form and mail to DPS Foundation, 411 W. Chapel Hill St. Suite C2, Durham NC 27701.

We are grateful for your investment in the future of our DPS students.

Questions?

For questions about scholarships, the Durham Promise, and for technical assistance with your application, please reach out to Logan Barcus, Scholarships and School Partnerships Manager at logan@bullcityschools.org