Kalamazoo Student Scores $40,000 Scholarship In A Surprise Moment

A Loy Norrix High School sophomore in Kalamazoo has been awarded a $40,000 scholorship on top of the Kalamazoo Promise.

Charisma Edwards was one of the rare students who is able to say they were awarded $40,000 in college scholarship money from the company BigFuture, which regularly awards scholarship money to kids in High School.

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Each year, the organization awards two $40,000 scholorship winners across the entire country, and one of this year's winners is from right here in Kalamazoo.

There was a video capturing this incredibly special moment, as she was awarded the gift while in class:

Loy Norrix High School sophomore Charisma Edwards thought it was fake as she was surprised in class with a giant check for a scholarship from the College Board’s BigFuture Scholarships program. Her mother, Tamara Custard was just as surprised. She'd been told her daughter would be getting a counseling recognition. Edwards was automatically entered into the drawing for the scholarships, which are given monthly, for using College Board and BigFuture’s services.

What Is BigFuture and Who Is Qualified To Win?

Since 2019, BigFuture has awarded over $23M to over 24,000 students. No essay. No minimum GPA or test score requirements. The more steps you complete and the earlier you start, the more chances you have to win. Students whose families earn less than $60,000 a year have more chances to earn scholarships.

Not only will she be receiving the $0,000 scholorship, but she can still take advantage of the Kalamazoo Promise, which basically means she's pretty much set up for college.