Photo courtesy of Jim Harndon
Twenty-one North Texas seniors are heading to college this fall with a combined $288,000 in scholarship funding—but for three students from the Lake Highlands area, the award marked a particularly close-to-home milestone.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation’s 2026 College Scholarship Program awarded funding to students across the region. Recipients were selected based on college entrance scores, high school grades, financial circumstances, and demonstration of the YMCA’s values of academic achievement, community service, and personal motivation.
Among this year’s recipients are Lake Highlands-area seniors Navier Walder, Rachael Frazer, and Precious Akhigbe.
Photo Courtesy of Jim Herndon
Photo Courtesy of Jim Herndon
Photo Courtesy of Jim Herndon
Walder and Akhigbe were both awarded Dye Foundation Scholarships, while Frazer received the Lake Highlands Family YMCA Working Scholarship, which recognizes students who balance academic performance with employment and community involvement.
Walder will attend Baylor University, Frazer is headed to Texas Tech University, and Akhigbe will enroll at Vanderbilt University. Together, they are part of a cohort of 21 students who will collectively earn $288,000 in support distributed over four years.
Together, the recipients reflect a broader investment in local students whose academic performance and community engagement aligned with the YMCA’s mission of youth development and social responsibility.
The recipients were recognized at the YMCA’s College Scholarship Reception on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.