Posted on Mar 31, 2023 in
NEWSWORTHY
Hightower High School student Jasmin Esemu was awarded a C. Jackson Scholarship Award in the amount of $100,000 from American Productivity & Quality Center.
Hightower High School senior Jasmin Esemu was awarded the $100,000 C. Jackson Scholarship Award from American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) in a surprise presentation on March 21st.
Esemu is one of only four students to receive the award this school year, and the first Fort Bend ISD to be honored by organization. She plans to attend Texas A&M University to study biomedical engineering and hopes to become a surgeon. She’s a member of the Hightower P-TECH Early College High School program and will earn her high school diploma and Associate Degree in Applied Science upon graduation.
“When I saw their description of the ideal candidate, I felt like I matched that,” Esemu said. “I liked the essay prompt – write about an idea
that I challenge. I wrote about confronting the idea that I couldn’t do things or do as much because I am a girl.”
Successful scholarship applicants bring an inspiring story of rising above challenges to pursue their college dreams, all while having household incomes that are below the poverty line. Qualifying grade point averages for applicants are 2.5 and above.
Esemu was selected because of her academic achievements and having spent her formative years challenging gender and race stereotypes about what she “could or should be” which taught her to advocate for herself and find her voice. She also has a passion for music and has recorded and released a single.
The C. Jackson Grayson Scholarship Award, named in honor of the organization’s late founder who believed strongly in education, was established in the 2021-22 school year. During each award cycle, only the first 100 applications are considered for selection. Four students are selected each school year, and over these two school years, the organization’s total award amount is $800,000.
Next year’s applications will open on October 8th, 2023, and students who reside in Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Brazoria and Waller counties are invited to apply. In addition to the scholarship funds, APQC is offering paid summer internships, mentoring and skill development to help this year’s award recipients be successful in pursuing their education and careers.
APQC is a leader in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement and knowledge management. It has more than 1,000 members worldwide, and provides the information, data and insights organizations need to support decision-making and develop internal skills. Visit www.apqc.org for more information.
