Northeast High School senior Zhane Wiggins thought she was attending a routine assembly Monday morning to hear about college scholarship opportunities. Instead, she walked away with one of the College Board’s top monthly awards – a $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship.
Just minutes into the program, representatives from the College Board called Wiggins’ name and presented her with the surprise news. The scholarship is part of the national BigFuture program, which helps students explore careers, plan for college, and find ways to pay for their education.
“I’m so shocked. I was not expecting it at all,” Wiggins said afterward. “When she said my name, I just completely froze.”
Her mother, Lakeshia Major, who was invited to the assembly under the pretense of watching the cheerleading team perform, was also caught off guard.
Wiggins, a member of Northeast’s AVID program, Human Performance Signature Program, and cheerleading squad, plans to pursue a career in physical therapy and already has internship experience in the field. She is considering several colleges, including the University of Maryland, Texas A&M, North Carolina A&T, James Madison University, and the University of Central Florida.
Elizabeth Parker, Northeast’s AVID site coordinator, called Wiggins “a well-deserving student who has thrived in the AVID program throughout high school.” She added, “Zhane challenges herself through the AACC dual enrollment program and gains valuable experience interning at a local physical therapy office. Her positive attitude is contagious and will carry her far in the future.”
The BigFuture Scholarship program awards both $500 and $40,000 scholarships each month to students who complete steps in their college and career planning journey. No essays, test scores, or minimum GPA are required, and students from families earning less than $60,000 per year receive double entries.
“BigFuture Scholarships celebrate students who are taking the steps they need to own their futures,” said Amy Reitz, BigFuture senior vice president. “We want to help more students like Zhane navigate the path toward a great career and the education to make it a reality.”
Since 2019, the College Board has awarded more than $23 million in BigFuture Scholarships to more than 24,000 students nationwide.
Students in the classes of 2026 and 2027 can learn more at www.bigfuture.org.
