A young boy named Amir Staten has graduated with a 100% honors grade from the Philadelphia High School which earned him a full ride scholarship to Morehouse college in Atlanta.
Amir Staten is a 17-year-old boy from Philadelphia who graduated from Philadelphia High School with a high honors roll grade. This achievement earned him an early acceptance into Morehouse college.
When Amir found out about his early acceptance, he was recorded by his mum jumping across the street with joy. This video went viral and it subsequently opened doors for him.
Amir was awarded a full ride scholarship to Morehouse College with all his four years college tuition fees and expenses paid.
Amir was also named one of the 15 Bonner Scholars, a community service-focused scholarship program of 2023. His mother, Karlynne Staten shared the video of him crying in disbelief after he read the mail.
“You don’t have to pay for college,” Amir told his mom with tears in the heartwarming video.
Karlynne went further to say her son’s journey did not just start, rather it started much earlier in his life. She said that Amir disciplined himself and has always taken his academics seriously during his high school years.
He maintained a honor roll grades while also being captain of the basketball team and head of his school’s Black Student Union. She also added that Amir completed over 120 hours of community service.
”He has gone above and beyond of what is expected of him, now he can kind of breathe easy,” Karlynne said.
Karlynne further expressed her happiness about her son’s success, saying she feels relieved of her worries as she has been saving up for Amir and his siblings tuition fees by working extra jobs.
“He has a twin sister and I also foster a young boy who is one of Amir’s friends, i have been working three or four jobs for the last four or five years so I could try to save up and maintain a household and still have some type of funding for their college degrees,” she said.
The Vice president for student services and Dean of Morehouse College, Kevin Booker shared that Staten was selected by a panel of staff and the current Bonner Scholars at the institution.
“Some of those student leaders selected Amir because they see in him what’s needed to be a man of Morehouse, and eventually a Morehouse man,” Kevin said.
The dean also stated that Amir earned the position for himself not once mentioning his viral video. He expressed that he was personally touched by Amir’s reaction and hopes that he will use this opportunity to push himself among the ranks of the great men who have passed through Morehouse College.
While in Morehouse college, Amir will have to hold a grade point average of at least 2.5 and complete 10 hours of community service per week as part of the requirements to continue to partake in the Bonner scholars scholarship at Morehouse College.