Powe said he will forever be grateful to Beyoncé and
Jay-Z for helping him with his future plans.
MISD STUDENT RECEIVES $100K
SCHOLARSHIP FROM MEGA CELEBRITIES
A
t the age of 3, Shaykeim Powe and his
younger brother began living with
their great-aunt. His mother, who was
a teenage mom, could no longer afford
to care for them, and their dad did not
play an active role in their lives.
seats to the mega artists’ concert on Sept.
11 at the AT&T Stadium. One of them
was going to win a $100,000 scholarship
that Beyoncé and Jay-Z give away at
their concert to a deserving student.
When Powe heard his name announced by DJ
Khaled as the $100,000 scholarship winner,
he screamed with excitement knowing
the impact it would have on his life.
Both of his parents never graduated high
school or attended college, and
he was determined all his life to
not suffer the same fate.
“If I didn’t get the scholarship, I’d probably
turn out a whole lot different,” Powe explained.
“I know with the scholarship, I’ll be able
to pay for all my classes and college and
pay for my books and dorms and stuff.”
To stay on the right path, Powe joined the
Boys and Girls Club of Arlington in 2009.
He held several leadership roles in his
tenure and participated in programs that
taught him how to steer clear of drugs,
alcohol and other dangerous activities.
Officials from the Boys and Girls Club helped
to pick the grand prize winner and gave
$25,000 scholarships to five other finalists.
The 17-year-old was excited when he thought
about his future. However, there was one
obstacle in the way—money. Powe’s great-
aunt worked very hard to take care of the
household, but she would not be able to
afford to pay for his higher education.
Powe said he is extremely grateful to
Beyoncé and Jay-Z. He plans to attend the
University of Houston and receive a bachelor’s
degree through the school’s American Sign
Language (ASL) Interpreter program.
Little did the Summit High School senior
know that his life was about to change
overnight by the hands of celebrity
power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
The teenager said he chose that career
field because there are many areas
where interpreters are needed in the
deaf community and he understands the
need for minority male interpreters.
Powe and 19 other Boys and Girls Club of
Arlington members received VIP front row
16
M A NSFIELD ISD.O RG