High school senior, Shanya Robinson-Owens of Philadelphia, applied to 20 colleges and was awarded over $1 million in scholarships by 18 of them.
Shanya’s aunt, Christine Owens, told Good Morning America that Shanya was always a standout student and although they had faith in her talents, the $1,074,260 in scholarship money was unexpected.
“We are overjoyed. I knew she wouldn’t have a problem getting into colleges,” Owen’s said, “but we didn’t know they would award her this much money in scholarship funds.”
Shanya was equally surprised. “I was pretty excited,” Shanya said. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”
Shanya, a student at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, told GMA she was accepted to La Salle University in Philadelphia; Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri; Temple University in Philadelphia and several others.
Shanya’s principal, Ted Domers, also shared his thoughts about what a star student Shanya is.
“In addition to being a part of a movement to bring more social action to our school, she’s involved in a number of extracurricular activities that show the breadth of her skills, from robotics to journalism,” Domers said. “It is a privilege for us to count Shanya as one of our own and we are excited to see her create opportunities for her future.”
While Shanya is still weighing her options in making her final decision as to which school she will attend, she does have advice for other students embarking on the college application process.
“You really have to be patient,” Shanya said. “Stay focused. If you need to have some time away, it’s OK. You can tell your teachers that because they know you’re stressed.”
Shanya will graduate in June.
