Cass Technical High School senior Mohammad Muntakim was awarded the 2021 Gates Millennium Scholarship.
The Gates Millennium Scholarship was established in 1999 by Bill and Melinda Gates. The Goal of the Gates Scholarship is to promote academic excellence for outstanding minority students by reducing financial barriers. The Gates Scholarship selects 1,000 new Scholars each year and is now funding over 20,000 Gates Scholars since 2000.
“Every year [Cass Tech] had at least one or two winners of the Gates Scholarship,” said Wenday Edwards, a Cass Tech counselor.
In the fall, Mohammad will be attending Wayne State University on a full scholarship. He will be majoring in public health.
“I only applied to a couple schools in Michigan, because I wanted to keep my circle in Michigan,” said Mohammad.
Mohammad is one of seven valedictorians for the graduating Class of 2021 at Cass Tech . He said some of the most memorable experiences at Cass Tech were the conversations he had during lunch with his fellow classmates.
“Just sitting in the commons with different friends and engaging in conversation about how our future will look like is something I always looked forward to," Mohammad said.
Mohammad said he believes he has been successful because of the sacrifices his parents have made and the steadfast belief that his teachers and administration have always had in his capabilities and potential.
“The Gates Scholarship only takes 300 people across the country, so it just shows you that when giving the resources to Detroit kids they can excel, and I want my story to be a testament of that," Mohammad said.
