By Kurtis Hiatt
Would she cry?
“She might,” whispers Rebecca Christian, considering how daughter Nia Christian would react in just a few minutes.
“She has a right to, if she wants to,” Nia’s grandmother, Mrs. Hardy, adds bluntly.
Can’t argue with that. The high school senior that day would be finding out she was headed to George Washington University on a full ride. The tears, of course, would be good ones.
Her family, news media and a welcome wagon from GW including President Steven Knapp and even George the mascot were waiting to surprise Nia with the news, hiding out a few floors below her classroom at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. By the end of the day on March 22, a total of nine students at eight District schools would get the same happy news—that they received the GW-Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship, a four-year award worth more than $200,000 and covering tuition, room, board, books and fees.
At Banneker, Nia wasn’t caught completely off-guard—she spotted her mother lurking outside her classroom right before the announcement. Teary but not crying, she seemed to be in a daze—Dr. Knapp presented her with an oversized acceptance letter, there was a GW baseball cap, George the mascot hung out in the background. Then there were photos (lots of them) and interviews with reporters (ditto).
“I always try to do my best,” Nia said after the surprise. “I used to think that if you weren’t good at a specific subject, you were just lost. But then I just decided you don’t have to be good in one specific area, but if you gain a broad knowledge in each subject, then you’ll be pretty well rounded.”
That’s something her mother said she and Nia’s grandmother have worked to instill in her. “Be your own person,” her mother always tells her. “Speak up for yourself,” her grandmother says. “Be dependent on yourself. And don’t let anybody change your mind.”
And that’s what Nia has done—she’s a math and science whiz, and spent three summers in a special program focused on those subjects at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. But she’s also into volleyball and softball, acting and international issues.
“I think of her as a quiet giant,” observed guidance counselor Vernita Jefferson, who nominated Nia for the scholarship. “She doesn’t make a lot of fuss. She comes right in and she takes care of business.”
Nia said she hopes to major in electrical engineering and minor in geological sciences. She wants to be able to someday deliver solutions to the many people across the world who don’t have access to fresh water.
But last week Nia was focused on the immediate future. There was the upcoming science fair, where she would be presenting on how garlic kills bacteria. But like so many other teens, she was arguably more excited about the release of “The Hunger Games” movie.
Experiences similar to Nia’s played out across the District on March 22. The other awardees included: Taylor Young of Duke Ellington School for the Arts; Avonda Fogan of The Maret School; Tinsley Harris and Edwin Musibira of Woodrow Wilson Senior High School; Darielle Anderson of Cesar Chavez Public Charter School; Samantha Brew of McKinley Technology High School; Francisco Palucho of Francis L. Cardozo High School; and Ayodele Akosile of The SEED School of Washington, D.C.
Families, like that of Darielle’s, said the scholarship presents an opportunity that may have been out of reach.
“It means a lot,” said Darielle, who wants to study business. “I feel like with this scholarship I have an incredible opportunity to go to school and to just live my dream.”
For both the students and GW, the program is a win-win.
“Nothing is more satisfying than to surprise an aspiring young student with a full scholarship,” said Dr. Knapp. “I look forward to welcoming these talented students to the GW community next fall.”
They’ll join 133 students who have received the high distinction since the program’s inception 23 years ago. Nominated through their high school counselors, the students are selected based on academic achievement, SAT score, recommendations, leadership qualities, community service, extracurricular activities and achievements as well as financial need. The graduation rate for the students in the program is nearly 90 percent, and GW has committed more than $16.5 million to the program since it started.
The students’ individuality and self-driven attitudes emerged as a common theme throughout the day. Taylor was no exception.
“Taylor is her own individual,” said mother Barbara Young. “Even when she was smaller and took violin lessons on Saturdays and kids would have birthday parties, Taylor was like, ‘I can’t make it, I have violin in the morning.’ ”
The scholarship, Taylor said, means she’ll be able to pursue both of her passions in engineering and music. She wants to open a school some day to let other kids do the same.
What did sister Kalyn Young, who watched on during the surprise ceremony, think of her younger sibling?
“She is amazing,” Kalyn said, tearing up and pausing to consider. “I can’t even explain it, she is truly amazing.”
Sometimes, there’s not much else to say.