MIAMI (WSVN) - Two South Florida high school seniors who were attending a ceremony at their school had no idea they were about to receive something life-changing.
Video showed Mila Bleary and Alondra Rojas at their Senior Awards ceremony at Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Miami, unaware they were about to receive a major gift.
“We’re here today to give out a four-year, fully paid scholarship to a graduating senior at Booker T. Washington,” said Rick Freedman, the scholarship chair of the Kiwanis Club Of Biscayne Bay. “Not only are we giving out a four-year college scholarship; we’re gonna give out a two-year, 60-credit college scholarship on top of that.”
Seconds later, the Kiwanis Club of Biscayne Bay surprised Bleary and Rojas by calling their names.
“It doesn’t even feel real, it really doesn’t,” said Rojas.
Rojas said she wants to attend Florida State University, and this scholarship will make that happen.
“I’ve been really nervous about this scholarship, because I was competing against my friends and everything, but I’m really, really glad I got it,” she said. “Like, all my worries are just off.”
The competition was so close, Bleary was awarded the second scholarship.
“I feel so blessed and happy, and I’m just really excited, honestly,” she said.
Bleary said she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics, and then some.
“This is really helping me in the long run, because most people stop after their bachelor’s, and my sister, she’s like, ‘No, you need to push for your bachelor’s, you need to go harder, you need to keep pursuing your dreams,'” she said, “so that added an extra, like, ‘Oh, wow. Like, it’s happening, I can go further.'”
“When we started this program, our goal was to do one thing: know that we can hand a four-year college scholarship to a graduating senior and change their life forever,” said Freedman.
Even though it was a competition, and the recipients’ parents could not be more proud, the honorees said they’re supportive of each other.
“If one person wins, we all win, so that’s really what kept us going,” said Bleary. “We kept that negative competitive mindset away, more of like, ‘OK, if one person wins, we all win. We’re all doing good.’ We’re all here to see each other do better in life.”
Rojas said she wants to be a teacher, whereas Bleary said she wants to pursue a career as a physicist.
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