Alabama A&M awards more than $2 million in scholarships in Selma, Dallas County

Published 10:59 pm Thursday, February 22, 2018

Alabama A&M University President Andrew Hugine Jr. made a stop in Selma Thursday to hand out scholarships to students at Selma, Southside, Dallas County and Keith High Schools, along with several others.

Hugine’s visit was part of his annual Presidential Scholarship Recognition and Promotional Tour, which he said will reach around 50 schools across the state. The tour started in Mobile and has made its way through Birmingham, Montgomery and now Selma.

“In life there are few things that you really find enjoyable, and this is one of those aspects of my job as president I really, really like,” Hugine said. “I get a chance to go out and meet young people, who are very serious about their future, need a little help and encouragement. This scholarship gives them an opportunity to do that.”

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Hugine said the tour also gives him a chance to promote the school and share its successes.

The first stop was at Southside High School, where Hugine recognized scholarship recipients from the three Dallas County School System’s high schools. Alabama A&M awarded a total of $1.4 million in scholarships. That number includes several other schools that took part in the ceremony.

Hugine’s second stop in Selma was at Selma High School, where scholarships were awarded to Selma students, as well as students from Linden High School and Wilcox Central High School. Scholarships totaled more than $1.8 million.

“We send them the best, and they reward us by helping us to send them. That’s the wonderful partnership and relationship we have with the school,” said senior guidance counselor Dr. Wanda Young-Lowe. “I’m just very proud of them.”

Young-Lowe said this is the fifth year the tour has made a stop in Selma to award students scholarships. Although it is an exciting moment, she said it is also a bittersweet one.

“Most of them I have known since they were in ninth grade,” she said. “To see them get to this point and realize they’re getting ready to start a new chapter in life, I’m just so happy for them.”

Each student was called up to the stage and presented with an oversized check with the amount of money the scholarship was worth on it.

“We’re just so proud that you have worked hard and it is indeed paying off,” Hugine told students.

“I’m not a bulldog, but I’m going to say go bulldogs because you’re so good to my children,” said Selma High School Principal Emma Alexander. “From the bottom of my heart, with warm, felt expression, I am so thankful to Dr. Hugine and his distinguished guests for their being a major part of the lives of students here at Selma High and for the financial contributions that they make.”