Kaelen McCone, a senior at the Early College at Guilford, recently received one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country, the Gates-Millennium Scholarship (GMS).

Established in 1999 with the goal of developing Leaders for America’s Future™, the GMS program is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The GMS program removes the financial barriers to education for high-performing, low-income students. Each year it enables 5,000 students to attend and graduate from 800 of the most selective private and public schools in the country, including Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) member institutions and other minority-serving institutions.

McCone is dedicated, not just to his own education but to the education of others. He volunteers as a mentor for students new to the U.S. at Newcomers School, and he helped establish the group “Mission Inspire” at local organizations and Kiser Middle to help tutor struggling students. Through McCone’s efforts, the group plans to expand its reach to additional schools.

“He has organized all of the team members, the teachers at the schools and the students to create a workable schedule for all involved,” says Katheryn Cooper, biology teacher. “His commitment to these students is a testament to his commitment to education for all, and he is well deserving of the Gates-Millennium Scholarship.

“Throughout high school, I've done my best to be all that I could be, and to have as large an effect on my community as possible,” says McCone. “I've been completely and utterly blessed to receive such an amazing opportunity from the Gates-Millennium Scholarship, because otherwise College would not have been a feasible option for me to continue my education. This would not have been possible without the total support of my teachers and counselor, and I owe my winning of this scholarship to them.”

McCone plans to attend Amherst College in the fall.

McCone is one of two GCS students to receive the Gates Millennium Scholarship. The second is Peter Tor, senior at the Academy at Smith.