Louisiana Teen Earns $1.4M in Scholarships, Accepted to Over 75 Colleges
A Louisiana high school senior is celebrating a milestone most students only dream of—being accepted into more than 75 colleges and receiving over $1 million in scholarship offers.
Makenzie Williams, a standout student at Ouachita Parish High School in Monroe, Louisiana, is graduating at the top of her class. She is ranked No. 1 out of 274 students and has recently scored a 27 on the ACT. Her academic accomplishments earned her a spot among the top 20 scholars honored at the Ouachita 2025 Scholars Banquet.
Her mother, Keyonya Williams, shared the exciting news, saying Makenzie has received offers from 75 colleges totaling over $1 million in scholarships.
“We are so proud of her,” Keyonya told WLBT. “She’s worked so hard for this moment, and to see it pay off is just a blessing.”
Makenzie plans to attend Dillard University in New Orleans this fall. While she had dozens of choices, the historically Black university stood out to her as the best fit.
“She knew she wanted to stay in Louisiana and attend an HBCU that would nurture her academically and culturally,” her mother said.
Makenzie Williams’ story isn’t just impressive—it’s significant within the broader context of what it means to be a high-achieving Black student in America. On average, a U.S. high school student receives approximately $7,822 in scholarship funds for college. This figure encompasses awards from various sources, including federal, state, institutional, and private scholarships.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics and data from EducationData.org, Black students are underrepresented among scholarship recipients. Despite being about 14% of the U.S. student population, Black students receive only 11–12% of private scholarship funds.
On average, U.S. students earn $7,822 in scholarships, but Black students often have to apply to more scholarships to receive the same amount of funding as their white peers
