Yan Zhang, a 2024 Cape Central High School graduate, was recently announced as the recipient of the Henry J. and Lucille J. Straus Scholarship by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO).
The scholarship is worth $6,000 and is awarded to 12 high school graduates who "demonstrate financial need and strong academic standing" and are planning to attend a private four-year university. Zhang is attending Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in biology on the pre-med track.
"As the first of my family to go to college, I’ve faced challenges and had to adapt to higher education with no role model,” Zhang said in a news release from CFO. "Scholarships such as the Straus Scholarship have given me genuine hope towards my goals."
In addition to the aforementioned requirements, students must also have a minimum 3.2 grade point average, describe their participation in community service and school activities and submit an essay and a letter of recommendation.
The application window for the 2026-2027 school year is from Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, through mid-March. For more information, visit www.cfozarks.org/resources/scholarship-criteria.
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