The auditorium at Palm Beach Lakes High School isn’t the set of the Oprah Winfrey Show — where the talk show host famously doled out gifts to gleeful audience members — but on Tuesday morning, April 7, it must have felt that way to the graduating seniors seated in front of the auditorium stage.
You get a scholarship. You get a scholarship. And you get a scholarship!
Indeed, every graduating senior at Palm Beach Lakes and Forest Hill high schools, roughly 500 students total, can claim a full-ride scholarship to Palm Beach State College, thanks to a scholarship program established by the Related Ross Foundation, a charitable arm of Related Ross, the development behemoth founded by Stephen M. Ross, the owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
What does a scholarship for roughly 500 Palm Beach County students cost?
Ross contributed $8 million to establish the scholarship program. The money comes via the foundation and is independent of Ross’ development and business interests that are deeply entrenched in and around West Palm Beach.
The foundation has provided scholarship assistance in the past, but this is the first time it is offering full-ride scholarships to entire graduating classes. The scholarships cover 100% of tuition, books and fees.
Palm Beach State College President Ava Parker surprised Palm Beach Lakes seniors with the scholarship news, prompting loud cheers from the students.
“Your future just got a whole lot clearer,” she said. “We can see those dreams come true. Because of the generosity, and because of just having this amazing heart — I’m talking about Stephen Ross, who is the chairman and founder of the Related Cos. and the Related Ross Foundation — I am excited to announce that every Palm Beach Lakes senior who is here in this room will be able to attend Palm Beach State College for free!”
Even with confetti shot into the air, the students initially seemed confused. But as they understood what they had been told, their cheers grew louder.
The Palm Beach State College scholarship surprise settles in
Some, like 18-year olds Lexani-Marie Morales and Anthony Collins Jr., had already decided to go to PBSC. They didn’t know they’d be going for free.
A beaming Morales said she hadn’t had a chance to tell her parents.
“I haven’t been on my phone since this happened,” said Morales, who plans to study nursing.
She said her family is already looking forward to her impending graduation.
“They’re really excited for me,” Morales said. “Being the first in my family to get a (college) degree and seeing the smile when I walk across that stage, that means a lot to me.”
Collins will also be a first-generation college student. He plans to study sports management and hopes to work for ESPN one day.
“This scholarship is a blessing to me,” said Collins, who is on the track team but is preparing for when his days as an athlete come to an end. “Can’t do sports forever.”
For 17-year old Ameria Cooper, who plans to study the arts at PBSC and hopes to work in pediatric psychology when her education is complete, having the financial weight of college lifted over the next two years is huge.
“We were already financially struggling,” she said of her family.
Now, she said she is looking forward to getting to PBSC, which she has already visited through Upward Bound.
“It just feels like home,” she said.
Like Cooper, Jeremy Taylor, 17, was also worried about college costs. Not having to worry about accumulating college debt over the first two years “would be a blessing for me,” he said. “That would put me ahead.”
Taylor plans to study business at PBSC and wants to own a business some day.
Related Ross and PBSC offering more than free tuition
The scholarships are part of what Related Ross and Palm Beach State College are calling a “multiyear support system, including academic advising and summer programs.”
Palm Beach Lakes and Forest Hill, where the Related Ross Foundation and Palm Beach State College are planning to hold another celebratory event, are both Title I schools, a federal designation for schools that have a high percentage of students who qualify for meal assistance.
Jordan Bargas, executive vice president for development at Related Ross, said Ross and the foundation wanted to make the biggest possible impact in the community.
“We are all so passionate about this community,” he said. “This is an opportunity to invest in the community.”
Bargas said it is personally meaningful to be in the auditorium to see the potential impact of that investment.
“The reaction of the students, it hits home,” he said.
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education and Riviera Beach development for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins owner surprises Palm Beach County high school seniors with college scholarships
Reporting by Wayne Washington, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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