NEW ORLEANS — Six seniors at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans have each been awarded more than $1 million in college scholarship offers.
The 2023 seniors include: Malcolm Ferrouillet, Landon Bishop, Jayden Lewis, Kevin Price, Jr., Lester Arnaud, IV and Joshua Mirabin.
Mirabin said he was awarded $5.4 million from 77 different schools.
Meanwhile, Lewis said he was offered $2.4 million from 56 schools.
With only a few months left to decide, the young men are weighing their options.
“Some of the top schools that stand out to me that I’m considering are Notre Dame, Louisiana State University, Morehouse College, Loyola University in New Orleans, as well as Chicago, and Xavier University," Price said.
The students said money matters, but they're also considering academics.
“By studying economics I’ll be able to delve into all the things and all the intricacies that people of color have often been excluded from," Bishop said.
Arnaud said he's already decided on Texas A&M.
“Just going into a new environment. Really, I’ve been inside of just New Orleans. So being able to go into a new environment, meet other people and have another place to call home is really what I’m looking forward to," Arnaud said.
The acceptance letters and scholarship offers have rolled in for months, but the students say the hard work started years ago.
“For me, my mother, she put it in me that freshman year, that’s when it starts," Arnaud said.
They believe it was more than grades that made their applications stand out.
“The extracurriculars and me showing the importance of, that a test score does not show all that I can do," Ferrouillet said.
All six students say the staff played a role in their success.
“They understood that St. Aug is going to push them and challenge them, and they really took on the assignment and they have beat it. Smashed records past what we could imagine. So, we are super proud of them," Michelle Keelen, Senior Counselor, said.
While the students remain proud to be Knights, life-changing opportunity awaits them after graduation.
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