Several members of the 2017 Class at Watson Chapel High School have accepted scholarships totaling more than $2.5 million.
Michael Williams accepted the highest scholarship amount with a four-year value of $250,000 to play football for West Point United States Military Academy.
Peyton Martin, Malcolm Peoples, Najallah Johnson, Madelynn VanVeckhoven, Hannah Smith, Jonathan Harris, Hayden Arnold, Trave’ McFarland, Hauper-Kane Moorehead and Chandler Wilson, were among the top graduates who accepted high scholarship dollar amounts.
“It has been our practice over the years to announce scholarships that students have accepted to colleges because they can only enroll into one college after high school,” said Kristy Sanders, WCHS principal. “If we include the scholarship amounts that schools offer, that $2.5 million figure would probably double.”
Harris accepted scholarships to Ouachita Baptist University with a four-year value of $130,000 that includes an academic and football scholarship.
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Martin, who signed a national letter of intent to play women’s basketball at Arkansas State University, has a scholarship that carries a four-year value of $91,000.
Peoples, co-salutatorian, accepted the second highest scholarships amount with a four-year value $85,472 to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Peoples’ total scholarship amount includes the University Scholarship which pays for tuition, room, board and $250 in books.
Johnson, valedictorian of the class, totaled $72,000 in scholarships over a four-year period to UAPB, including being awarded the Chancellor’s Full-Ride Scholarship which covers tuition, room, board, fees and $500 in books.
VanVeckhoven and Smith accepted scholarships to Ouachita Baptist in the amount of $56,000 and $54,800, respectively, over a four-year span.
Arnold accepted a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock which covers a four-year value of $45,532. McFarland also accepted $40,000 in scholarships over a four-year period to UALR.
Wilson, who also was co-salutatorian, and Moorehead accepted scholarships to UAPB in the amount of $38,000 and $36,800, respectively, over a four-year period.
With 20 students accepting scholarships, UAPB awarded the highest dollar amount in scholarships, totaling $341,300 over a four-year period.
Other college scholarships accepted were from Arkansas State University, Henderson State University, Southern Arkansas University, the University of Central Arkansas, Southeast Arkansas College, Jackson State University, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Arkansas State University at Beebe and Independence Community College in Kansas.
— Carl Whimper is a College and Career Coach at Watson Chapel High School.