NBA star and Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose announced Wednesday that he has started a college scholarship program and plans to award more than $400,000 in tuition money that was not previously available to college-bound high schoolers.
The Rose Scholars program will focus on students who are civically minded and demonstrate a willingness to lead, according to a press release.
“I hope to provide students a path to college that was not previously available to them,” Rose said in a prepared statement. “Investing in school-age youth has long been a passion of mine, and I am proud to continue to help children pursue higher education as a means to better themselves and their communities.”
The program will focus on high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, according to RoseScholars.com. Rose is gifting the grand prize winner up to $200,000, paid out at $25,000 per semester for four years, plus two smaller prizes of up to $20,000, to be paid out in the fall of 2018 in a one-time payment. You can find the rules to apply here.
Earlier this week, NBA superstar LeBron James supported his own education initiative in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, launching a public elementary school. The I Promise School’s inaugural class will include 240 third- and fourth-grade students who were selected based on socioeconomic status and educational performance.
LeBron took the time to celebrate another former NBA MVP’s educational efforts on LeBronWire, saying,
“LeBron James understands the importance of education and using his platform for change. James’ ‘I Promise’ school has been lauded for providing an opportunity for improved education for at-risk youth in his hometown of Akron, OH.”
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1025050394286804993
Word!!!! I mean it's not a whole school!! But still pretty awesome!!! Lol
— Marlon J. Persaud ™ (@MjP_Realtor) August 2, 2018
— Nothing To See Here (@PrimeVegito) August 1, 2018
Rose, 29, signed with the Wolves in March, playing nine games in the regular season and five more in the playoffs, according to Star Tribune. The 2011 NBA MVP and three-time All-Star re-signed with the team last month for nearly $2.4 million in the 2018-19 season.
Rose has helped his hometown of Chicago with many charitable works, NBC Sports reported. The three-time NBA All-Star donated $1 million to a Chicago nonprofit called After School Matters in 2014, which gives apprenticeships to teens.
“I feel that I have a personal responsibility to help you be better, achieve more and dream bigger, Rose said in his statement. “So, thank you.”
— Levawn (@lev_dev97) August 1, 2018
I LOVE YOU
— YourRAGE (@YourRAGEE) August 1, 2018
Sadly it wont get the news attention it deserves. It should be everywhere how Bron opening a school was or how @JaValeMcGee is in Africa helping families out there as well. Or how @Akon helped MILLIONS in Africa.@espn @NBA @NBAonTNT @NBATV @SportsCenter @ESPNNBA @ESPNStatsInfo
— Jose Santos De Guatemala (@SHAQ10EDMOND) August 1, 2018
This is what kids need!
— Brazy (@_Brazy) August 2, 2018
The goat
— Kacey Battle (@kcbattle24) August 1, 2018
https://twitter.com/SAlNTLAURENTD0N/status/1024995394391076864
https://twitter.com/JusmennnnK/status/1024783142446497792
— ✶✶✶✶ (@NotARoleModeI) August 1, 2018
Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose is starting his own scholarship, The Rose Scholars, awarding over $400,000 in tuition money through the program. “I hope to provide students a path to college that was not previously available to them,” Rose said. https://t.co/JNOj4WWksL
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) August 1, 2018
Rose posted a letter on the scholarship’s website, telling people why he came up with the idea for Rose Scholars:
“As I started to reflect on my service to others, the idea of The Rose Scholars program started to form,” Rose wrote. “An award that would reflect on my desire to find greatness, my dedication to perseverance and determination, my passion for self empowerment, and my wish to elevate it in promising individuals.
“I know we can all identify a moment where our lives changed. A new path opened up to us that was not previously available. This new path allowed us to make different decisions and start to imagine new possibilities. This is exactly what the Rose Scholars program is meant to achieve in each and every one of you that applies.”
