Two Polk County Public Schools Seniors Recognized as 2012 Gates Millennium Scholars | News

Polk County, Florida-- Harrison School for the Arts Senior Morgan Craven and Bartow High IB Senior Vien Hang Yeung are both 2012 Gates Millennium Scholars.

The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program selected 1,000 talented minority students to receive scholarships which can be used to pursue degrees in any undergraduate major at the accredited college or university of the recipient’s choice. Continuing Gates Scholars may request funding for a graduate degree program.

Established in 1999, the GMS Program was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Education continues to be the best pathway to opportunity, and we believe that college costs should not be an obstacle along that path,” said Jim Larimore the deputy director for student success at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In addition to scholarship funding, the GMS Program provides recipients leadership development opportunities, mentoring, academic and social support.

Congratulations to Morgan Craven and Vien Hang Yeung!