A high school senior from Fort Worth received news Tuesday that any student -- or their parents -– would love. She's getting a free ride to college.
The news came as a surprise to everyone at All Saints Episcopal School, where each morning students gather in the chapel for prayer. It's usually followed by the day's announcements. But this day was different.
"I'm here for a specific reason today," said Dr. Carine Feyten, chancellor at Texas Woman's University.
In the crowd, was senior Celia Nowlin. She had no idea that the school's special guest was there to surprise her, with an announcement that she'd received the Denton-based university's Chancellor's Endowed Scholarship – worth the entire $50,000 tuition for four years at the school.
"I definitely wasn't expecting this to happen," said Nowlin, "It's kind of surprising."
Nowlin is at the top of her class at All Saints, carrying a near-perfect GPA. That, and a perfect score on her math SATs top a long list of accomplishments.
"This is about my favorite thing to do in the whole year," said Feyten. "Because it's just fun to see the surprise, the faces, the families. This is why I do what I do."
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Nowlin is an accomplished musician – she plays piano, guitar and sings – and she has always had an interest in mental health. Fittingly, at TWU she will major in music therapy.
"I'm just so grateful," she said. "That I've found a profession where I can use what I'm really passionate about to help people."
Nowlin learned in January that she's been accepted into TWU. She said the fact that she was wearing the school's sweatshirt when she learned of the scholarship was purely coincidental. As a scholarship winner, she will be mentored personally by Feyten, the TWU chancellor.
"This is incredible. I am so grateful for all of this," she said. "I've been praying for this, honestly, because faith is very important to me."
Consider this opportunity her calling.
