As a door closes for the Class of 2023, a new door opens, fulfilling them with scholarship opportunities, college admissions, and everything they need as they step foot into the real world. One of these seniors, Biruk Stephens, is a recipient of these many achievements, earning not only the Scholar Athlete Honorable Mention, but also the Victor Marquis Cooper Scholarship. Today, we’ll be discussing with Biruk regarding his scholarship process and what advice he has to share with upcoming juniors and seniors who have questions about college and scholarship applications.

Biruk Stephens is a member of the Class of 2023 and has been involved in multiple sports such as football, track, and wrestling. Additionally, he’s also a member of the Black Student Union and National Honors Society and a recipient of the prestigious Eagle Scout Award, accumulating over 100 hours of community service. Outside of school, Biruk likes to go the gym and hang out with his friends. Regarding the scholarship, the requirements are being an African-American male continuing his education in college, a GPA of 2.5-3.0, participation in extracurricular activities, community service, leadership qualities, financial need, an essay on future goals, and two letters of recommendation. “It took me a few weeks to get it done. I applied in early February after hearing about the scholarship last year, and got awarded the scholarship on February 25th,” Biruk explains.

Some advice that Biruk would share with fellow high schoolers is that “every scholarship adds up, so don’t just apply to the scholarships with a lot of money since they are going to be much more competitive. Instead, apply to smaller scholarship so you can get a lot of scholarship money. My other advice is there are a lot of scholarships that are available, so be on the look for them and apply to them as soon as possible. I would recommend finding a place that has a general application for scholarships so you can get more scholarships done faster with less effort, as well as having a few general essays about yourself, the challenges you have endured, or your future plans on hand with two letters of recommendation. All in all, enjoy your time and have fun!”

Biruk is an exemplary example of what means to be an ACP Knight as his strive for excellence has truly paid off. Congratulations, Biruk! Your ACP family is very proud of your accomplishments.