After receiving scholarship, HS senior donates college savings to another student

• Graduating high school senior Joshua Nelson received a full-ride scholarship from Southeast Missouri State.
• The 18-year-old was one of only five students accepted for the prestigious President’s Scholarship at the university.
• After being awarded the $43,000 scholarship, Joshua said he wanted to give away the $1,000 he saved for college to another college-bound student.

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Missouri native Joshua Nelson was awarded a full-ride scholarship to Southeast Missouri State University. Being blessed with the opportunity, the St. Charles West High School senior wants to pay it forward and donate his college savings to another college-bound student.

The 18-year-old was one of only five students awarded with the distinguished President’s Scholarship at the university. The City of St Charles School District said nearly 300 individuals applied for the $43,000 scholarship.

If Joshua meets the annual renewal criteria, the scholarship will cover his tuition fees and boarding for four years. Now that money will no longer be an issue, Joshua decided to donate his $1,000 college savings to another student in need.

“I feel like it’s important to be involved in your community and leaving a legacy,” Joshua told We Love St. Charles, a local non-profit community outreach organization. Nelson said he started The Joshua Nelson Leaders in Action Scholarship, which aims”to help multicultural students who are showing leadership, community service and just have great qualities in and out of the classroom.”

Joshua had been a student leader throughout high school. He helped other students succeed. According to St. Charles West’s website, he serves as the president of the school’s Multicultural Achievement Council (MAC), a program that encourages historically under-represented students to maximize their academic potential and become college- and career-ready.

Joshua hopes local businesses and private citizens will feel inspired by his donation and match it so that The Joshua Nelson Leaders in Action Scholarship can help several students. The school and the MAC program manage the fund.

Those who want to donate can visit the school’s website.

“I think he’s an inspiration to some of the other people at the school especially students of color,” Harmony Hudson, Joshua’s classmate, told CNN affiliate KDSK. “I don’t even think he realizes that he’s doing that much for everyone else as well.”

Joshua will be enrolled in the biomedical sciences program of Southeast Missouri State University this fall. He wants to continue his education as he pursues a career in optometry.

Source: CNN