SDA senior Lesliee Escobedo has been awarded the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a full-ride college scholarship funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Out of 57,000 applicants, Escobedo is one of only 1,000 students to receive the scholarship in 2016.

The scholarship was established for students of color with significant financial need who displayed high academic and leadership potential, according to the Gates Millennium Scholars Program website. It covers the entire cost of undergraduate tuition, including opportunities such as studying abroad, and also funds graduate education for students going into the fields of public health, education, and certain math and science fields.

“It’s one of the most coveted scholarships out there, especially for encouraging first-generation and low income students of color and underrepresented students,” said Ruth Magnuson, Escobedo’s AVID Senior Seminar teacher, about the Gates Scholarship. “I think a particular significance of it besides the fact that it really tries to level the playing field for people is that it’s also the last year that they’re going to have it. They’re changing it over to more specific scholarships for kids of color, so there’s not going to be that big umbrella Gates Millennium Scholarship anymore, which makes it really special that someone from our school got it this year.”

Escobedo was required to write eight essays for the scholarship as well as submit letters of recommendation. She wrote about her struggles with bullying, and her volunteer activities, such as being a church leader and interning at Scripps. Escobedo said she heard about the scholarship through Reality Changers, a San Diego nonprofit that assists aspiring first-generation college students.

“She’s just an amazing student all around,” said Magnuson. “She’s really pushed herself to take advanced placement courses and she has a lot of background on volunteerism and involvement in the school, and I know she’s also involved in her church; she’s done a lot of things outside of school to supplement her learning.”

Beginning this fall, Escobedo will be going to the University of San Diego to study biology, and from there hopes to get a master’s degree in healthcare. She is interested in becoming a physical therapist or a physician. “From the beginning I’ve always known I liked science and the STEM fields…and taking Healthcare Essentials led me to become more interested in wanting to help others,” she said of her career interest.

Escobedo was also influenced by her internship at the Scripps Core Orthopaedic Medical Center over the summer and the beginning of her senior year. She worked with physical therapists, observing them during their sessions and helping patients with exercises.

Escobedo found out that she had been chosen for the scholarship program two weeks ago. “They sent me a huge package in the mail,” she said. “It was so exciting.”