Avery Armstrong, a senior at Eufaula High School, has received the Gates Scholarship, a highly selective scholarship through which The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continues its long-standing commitment to helping outstanding minority students realize their maximum potential. Avery was one of 750 recipients from over 51,000 applicants nationwide.

There were multiple phases in the application process, including five essays ranging from top university choice and career goals to a prompt that asked seniors to imagine they were a part of Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People and to describe how they had achieved this.

Avery will receive a fully funded scholarship, including room, board, personal costs, transportation, books, tutoring, etc. to any four-year college or university in the United States. Avery plans on attending Duke University in the fall majoring in Political Science and eventually attending law school.