FONTANA, CA – Jurupa Hills High School senior Kaitlyn Dodgen – an International Baccalaureate Class of 2019 Diploma Candidate – has been recognized as a 2019 Gates Scholar by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of just 300 students across the United States to receive the honor.

Dodgen, who has a 4.6 GPA, was accepted into more than a dozen colleges, including two Ivy League schools, and will attend the University of Chicago to study statistics. The university has an acceptance rate of less than 10 percent.

“It feels so good to know that my family and I won’t have a financial burden as I pursue my dream of higher education,” Dodgen said. “My teachers and counselors have been so supportive. My goal is to be able to give back to my family and community by setting an example and helping others.”

Dodgen, a distinguished scholar-athlete, has played volleyball at Jurupa Hills all four years and served as team captain for the past two. As a member of the Key Club, Dodgen has performed more than 100 hours of community service. She also serves as treasurer for the JHHS National Honor Society and is a member of Link Crew.

First awarded in 2018, the all-expense-paid scholarship will be given to 3,000 minority seniors over the next decade, funding the full cost of college not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

To be eligible, students must also be Pell Grant-eligible, maintain at least a cumulative weighted 3.3 or better GPA, enroll in a four-year college or university and demonstrate leadership ability and exceptional personal success skills, such as perseverance and service to community.

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FUSD_JHILLS_GATES: Jurupa Hills High School senior Kaitlyn Dodgen has been named a 2019 Gates Scholar, one of just 300 students across the United States to receive the honor and all-expense-paid scholarship.