Polk County Public Schools
Roslyn Burkes, a senior at Haines City High and Vanessa Leon, a senior at Winter Haven High were among approximately 1,000 students nationwide and 66 in Florida named as Gates Millennium Scholars. Burkes and Leon will have their entire post-secondary educations paid for by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates Millennium Scholars are awarded to minority students based on outstanding academic accomplishments, leadership skills and community involvement.
Click here for more information on Gates Millennium Scholars.
Gates Scholarships pay for all their higher education up to and including a doctorate. Roslyn and Vanessa are both headed to the University of Florida in the fall. Both plan to take full advantage of their Gates Scholarships. Roslyn plans to go to law school to become a civil rights lawyer while Vanessa plans to go to medical school to become a neurologist.
Roslyn Burkes profile:
Resides: Poinciana, Fla.
Accomplishments, Accolades: delegate in U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam’s Congressional Classroom; Ledger Silver Garland in performing arts; Poinciana Ladies Club scholarship winner; a school district High Achieving Minority Student award winner; Outstanding Achievement Award for criminal justice study at Haines City High; school’s National Honor Society vice president; Bright Futures Florida Medallion Scholarship winner; student in Haines City High’s Criminal Justice Academy.
Community Involvement: active church member, mentors young females in her church; choreographer in church dance group.
Future plans: enroll at the University of Florida, then to law school to pursue career in civil rights advocacy.
Vanessa Leon profile:
Resides: Winter Haven, Fla.
Accomplishments/Accolades: National Honor Society member; multiple award winner in local, state and national Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitions; co-chaired Winter Haven High’s FBLA Partnership with Business Project; American Chemical Society Chem Club member, student in Winter Haven High’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism; member of school’s Distributive Education Clubs of America organization and Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society; a school district High Achieving Minority Student award winner.
Community Involvement: tutors in afterschool program “Homework Club” at Eloise Resource Center, also assists in center’s community events including Back-to-School Bash, Hispanic Heritage Festival and Health Expo. Currently is paid employee at Farmworker Ministry, Inc. in Auburndale translating legal documents from Spanish to English.
Future plans: enroll at the University of Florida, then to medical school to pursue a career as neurologist.
