The true meaning of scholarship, achievement and reward

Congratulations to Amirah Loveless! Amirah, a junior at James Kenan High School, recently received a $40,000 scholarship. This scholarship is provided by the BigFuture program of the College Board which, according to the website (www.collegeboard.org), is a not-for-profit organization that “helps students plan for college, pay for college, and explore careers.”

When he presented Amirah with her scholarship, Brian Barnes, College Board senior director, encouraged students to explore the possibilities before them, just as Amirah did. “It doesn’t matter what your grades are. It doesn’t matter what courses you’ve taken. What matters is that you took some action toward your future. You can begin applying in your sophomore year and you can be awarded in your junior or senior year — and there’s just one step. You go and you register and you might have this opportunity.”

The dictionary offers two definitions of the word “scholarship.” The first is “a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded on the basis of academic or other achievement.” The second is “academic study or achievement or learning of a high level.”

Our Duplin County Schools system is dedicated to both. One of the governing principles of Duplin Schools states, “A system of excellent schools in which every student has an opportunity to receive a sound basic education has as its first priority to provide opportunities for individual students to succeed and overall student performance to improve.”

In other words, the teachers, staff, and administration of Duplin Schools are committed to the pursuit of scholarship in order to prepare our students to be productive and engaged citizens in our communities. Duplin Schools are also committed to helping those students who desire to continue their education beyond high school. This support is provided through scholarships.

Through the generosity of numerous individuals and groups, many scholarships are available through the Education Foundation of Duplin County. The foundation’s purpose “is to promote scholarship by promoting the development of character, integrity, leadership, and scholarship of young people attending public schools in Duplin County.”

In 2024, the foundation awarded sixty-two scholarships totaling $76,050. As Mr. Barnes said and Amirah demonstrated, taking some action toward your future can result in unexpected and welcome support. Students and parents can find much helpful information about scholarships by visiting www.duplinschools.net

And, as always, be sure to talk with your school counselor about other available scholarships. You will discover there are plenty of people interested in supporting your scholarship with the gift of scholarships.