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DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Dublin High School senior Tristen Ellis has earned more than $1.3 million in merit-based scholarships and has been accepted to over 60 colleges and universities nationwide, according to a news release from Dublin City Schools.
Ellis, a student in the Dublin City Schools system since Pre-K, has taken advantage of several academic opportunities, including Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Dual Enrollment courses.
“Dublin City Schools is like a family,” Ellis said. “I feel like I am surrounded by teachers and staff everywhere that I consider second mothers and fathers. So, although I am not with my parents during the day, I feel like I am near moms and dads always, and I know they will always be there for me even after I graduate.”
Ellis is Dublin High’s student body president, captain of the varsity tennis team and president of the Senior Beta Club. He is also the Fighting Irish Marching Band’s woodwind section leader, a member of the Math Team and was voted Dublin High’s 2024 Homecoming King.
Additionally, he was named the 2025 Dublin-Laurens County Black History Festival Youth of the Year, participated in the 2023-2024 Morris Bank Youth Advisory Council and worked as a shift leader at Scoops.
Among the more than 60 institutions that accepted Ellis are Auburn University, Clemson University, Georgia Tech, Louisiana State University, the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina.
Ellis has committed to the University of Georgia, where he will major in biology on the pre-med track. He plans to enroll in the Double Dawgs Program, which will allow him to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in epidemiology within five years. He was also one of 45 students statewide to receive the Georgia Initiative Scholarship from UGA.
Ellis credits Dublin City Schools College and Career Academy’s CEO, Ben Lanier, for helping him through it all.
“Mr. Lanier went to DHS and then UGA just like me,” Ellis said. “He’s given me all the ins and outs—not just about Dublin, but also about Athens. He’s shown me who to meet, who to talk to, who to network with, and so much more.”
Ellis encourages other students to take advantage of opportunities within Dublin City Schools.
“We have opportunities that you will not be able to find anywhere else,” he said. “I recommend everyone come to DHS.”
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