{"id":277140,"date":"2026-05-19T20:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T20:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/277140\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T20:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T20:47:11","slug":"booker-t-students-surprised-with-30000-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/277140\/","title":{"rendered":"Booker T. students surprised with $30,000 scholarships"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Yaz\u2019Nique<\/p>\n

Yaz’Nique Jean Francois, center, reacts after being announced as a recipient of a Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club college scholarship as her friend Patricia Smith, left, and others cheer during the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Class of 2026 Senior Awards Ceremony, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Miami.<\/p>\n

Carl Juste<\/p>\n

cjuste@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n

Deafening screams filled the auditorium at Booker T. Washington Senior High School on Tuesday as two students received a big surprise.<\/p>\n

Seniors Patricia Smith and Yaz\u2019Nique Jean Francois stepped up on stage, each the winner of a $30,000 college scholarship. They can use the four-year scholarships to cover 120 credit hours at any Florida university or college.<\/p>\n

Smith and Francois knew they had been nominated, but had no idea they had won until Tuesday morning\u2019s assembly at the Overtown high school at 1200 NW Sixth Ave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe often talked about what we wrote in our essays and never thought negatively about each other,\u201d Smith, 17, said. \u201cIf someone else won, we would just be proud of each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Stanley Tate Project Stars Scholarships, handed out to Booker T. students by the Kiwanis Club of Biscayne Bay, are named for the real estate developer and the founder of the Florida Prepaid College Tuition Program.<\/p>\n

The first Biscayne Bay Kiwanis scholarship was awarded in 2012. Since then, the Kiwanis Club has given out more than $450,000 in funding to Booker T. Washington students. Scholarship entrants must write essays about their lives and complete applications.<\/p>\n

The scholarships are offered to Booker T. Washington students every school year and the finalists are paired with mentors on the school\u2019s faculty.<\/p>\n

\"Yaz'Nique Yaz’Nique Jean Francois, left, is embraced by her uncle Antwan Ezell, as Patricia Smith is interviewed after they both were awarded scholarships during the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Class of 2026 Senior Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Both students will be the first in their families to attend college. Smith will begin her studies at Miami Dade College and Francois will attend Florida International University.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I just made all Haitians and Bahamians proud today,\u201d said Francois, 17.<\/p>\n

\"Yaz'Nique Yaz’Nique Jean Francois, center-right, smiles toward Patricia Smith ,center-left, after both were awarded scholarships during the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Class of 2026 Senior Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Their teachers and mentors had plenty of great things to say about the teens.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatricia has developed the strength and perspective needed to navigate her future successfully,\u201d said Sharlee Peabody, Booker T. Washington English teacher and Smith\u2019s mentor.<\/p>\n

Rick Freedman, a Miami Beach native and a Kiwanis member since 1995, said the scholarship applicants\u2019 stories resonated with him because of how well the students handled challenges in their lives, and persevered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur candidates are the best of the best and overcome adversity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When Freedman announced the winners of the scholarship, all six finalists held hands in anticipation. Their friendship extends beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n

Before Tuesday\u2019s assembly, the scholarship finalists made a TikTok video and they each mentioned who they thought would win. Francois picked Smith to win a scholarship, but didn\u2019t expect to win herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all thought Patricia was going to get it,\u201d Francois said.<\/p>\n

Kiwanis Club members were so impressed with Francois that she is the first student to be awarded a two-year dormitory plan in addition to her scholarship, Freedman said.<\/p>\n

\"William William Thompson, left, president of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, shakes hands with Patricia Smith as Yaz’Nique Jean Francois looks on. Both students received scholarships during the Booker T. Washington Senior High School Class of 2026 Senior Awards Ceremony, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Michael Butler<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami Herald<\/p>\n

Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida\u2019s diversity. Just like Miami\u2019s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yaz’Nique Jean Francois, center, reacts after being announced as a recipient of a Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club college…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-277140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}