Nigerian student, Oloruntobi Dare, wins $350,000 Gates Millennium scholarship

Oloruntobi Dare, a senior at the Hubert Flowers High School did her school, family and friends proud by making the coveted list of 1,000 students to have earned the Gates Millennium Scholarship 2014,  which has less  than 10 percent acceptance rate.

“We commend you on your strong leadership, community service and academic achievements, and recognize you as a leader for America’s future,” her school said in a commendation letter.

The letter announcing her nomination also read in part, “We are very excited for you to join the community of Gates Scholars and we are very pleased to confer this distinct honor that distinguishes you as a Leader for America’s Future. ™”

Oloruntobi Dare has been a consistent Talented and Gifted (TAG), student since she started pre-school  in the USA. Aside from winning the Gates scholarship, she has won other several awards including  Most Outstanding Science Student, Hubert Flowers High School, Maryland; Winner, Prince George’s Community Church’s 8th Annual African American History Essay Contest; 3rd place winner, Maryland Coalition for Gifted and Talented Education Essay Contest 2014; and Maryland Representative at the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Day Parade .

Oloruntobi Dare, a Nigerian, now a naturalized American citizen, is the daughter of award-winning journalist, Sunday Dare, and  Registered Nurse Olukemi Dare.

The prestigious Gates Scholarship comes with a solid financial package that covers tuition and other incidences for the distinguished scholars till PhD level.

The Gates scholar can attend any college or university in the country. The scholarship is renewable up through a doctorate degree in specific fields, and carries an estimated value of up to $350,000.

Since it was established in 1999, over 10,315 Gates Millennium Scholars have completed a degree. The five-year graduation rate is 80.6 percent and the six-year graduation rate is over 86.3 percent. Twenty-eight percent of the scholars transition into graduate school.