Mescalero senior wins Gates Scholarship
Mescalero High School senior Duncan Balatche is a 2022 Gates Scholar.
Balatche is a leader among his peers, excels academically, and represents his Mescalero Apache heritage in all he does. He plans to attend Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado to pursue a degree in exercise science.
The honor comes with a guarantee of full financial support for college and an array of other services and benefits.
Gates was established through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports higher education.
The prior Gates Millennium Scholarship would select 3,000 students a year, and starting with the class of 2018, it was reduced to 300 students throughout the U.S. for the next 10 years.
The scholarship process begins the summer between a student's junior/senior year, and final selections are made in April of each year.
It is a three-phase process, with the last step being an interview. The scholarship pays for tuition, books and living expenses.
The scholarship not only funds college education but provides mentoring, career services and leadership.
This article originally appeared on Ruidoso News: Mescalero senior wins Gates Scholarship
