$300,000 in scholarships given to Fort Worth high school grads by Rainwater Foundation
Thirty Fort Worth area high school seniors will be going to college with a $10,000 scholarship after the Rainwater Charitable Foundation awarded $300,000 in financial aid to students, the foundation announced Tuesday.
The scholarships will be used to pay the tuition and fees for the students at any U.S. college or university, a way for the charitable foundation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Rainwater High School Scholarships Program. It isn’t expected to become an annual award.
Adriana Renee Coronado, a senior at Fort Worth Wyatt High School born and raised in Fort Worth, is one of the winners. She’s going to TCU to study education, something she said wouldn’t have been possible without this scholarship.
“It means that I have one less worry to worry about, paying for college Especially for the background I have,” Coronado said.
Neither of her parents finished middle school, she said. Her father grew up in Mexico and had to drop out of middle school for family reasons and her mother dropped out when she became pregnant in middle school.
“I am very thankful for this opportunity they’ve given me and the amount of money they’ve given me so I can further my education and make my family legacy more than just me being in the quote-unquote hood,” Coronado said.
Students were eligible to apply if they were enrolled at an accredited Fort Worth public school or select Fort Worth public charter schools, according to the release. Judges looked at students’ leadership and service commitments, their commitment to learning and their motivation and ability to overcome challenges.
“The applicants demonstrated these characteristics through a diverse array of achievements and experiences in leadership and service ranging from advocacy within their school communities to international service projects,” according to the release.
The foundation president, Jeremy Smith, said there was no better way to celebrate the anniversary of the project than giving the scholarships.
“It was a joy and a privilege to review so many amazing applications that came in from high schools across the city,” Smith said in the release. He said one of the scholarship recipients could go on to become a philanthropist like the founder of the charitable group, Richard Rainwater.
While the 30th anniversary scholarships are meant to be a one-time celebratory gesture, the foundation still awards the Dream Big Fort Worth scholarship, in partnership with Morton H. Meyerson Family Foundation and the Star-Telegram. The scholarship is awarded to Tarrant County high school students who have overcome significant obstacles and want to pursue higher education.