Tyrone Student Wins National Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship – Peachtree City Citizen
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Tyrone eighth grader Drake Prater has been awarded the prestigious Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, a national merit-based program that supports gifted students with full high school tuition at the school of their choice.
The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA), which oversees the program, announced 26 scholarship recipients nationwide for the Class of 2030. Prater, who attends the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, was among those recognized for academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement.
A rigorous selection process
The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship is one of the few need-blind, merit-only awards for gifted middle schoolers in the U.S. Applicants submit essays, test scores, transcripts, recommendations, and a portfolio of their work. From hundreds of applicants across the country, only 50 were chosen as finalists before the field was narrowed to this year’s 26 winners.
Prater said the recognition gives him confidence to pursue his goals. “I’m so thankful for this honor. It motivates me to keep aiming higher, knowing that every step I take is built on the support of those who believe in me,” he said.
A family path to opportunity
Prater is not the first in his family to reach this milestone. His sister, Adrienne, received the same scholarship two years ago and is now thriving at Choate Rosemary Hall, a boarding school in Connecticut ranked among the top private schools in the nation. Inspired by her journey, Drake is exploring options such as Choate and the McCallie School in Chattanooga.
The appeal of boarding school, the family explained, is twofold: independence and opportunity. For Drake, the idea of living on campus represents a chance to grow on his own while gaining access to a wide range of sports, academic programs, and extracurricular activities. “I kind of want to find a little bit of freedom in the stuff that I do,” he said during an earlier interview. “There are a lot more opportunities found at boarding schools. They have a lot of different sports and opportunities to find new passions.”
Why Ron Clark Academy?
For now, Prater’s day-to-day life centers on the Ron Clark Academy (RCA), a nationally known private middle school in Atlanta. RCA is recognized for its rigorous academics and unique approach to building both intellectual and social skills. Students regularly host teachers from around the world who come to the school for training, giving them early experience in leadership and public speaking.
Christy Prater, Drake’s mother, said both of her children were placed in gifted programs early and needed more challenge than traditional schools offered. “They were always saying they were bored at school,” she explained. After researching options, the family found RCA and was drawn to its emphasis on high expectations and real-world readiness.
The Academy also emphasizes “soft skills” through programs like the Amazing Shake, a national competition in which students practice introductions, handshakes, and conversational confidence. “By the time they’re in eighth grade, their social skills are just way above a normal middle schooler,” Christy said. Students also travel as part of the curriculum—Drake visited Europe in seventh grade, and next year the class will travel to South Africa.
Balancing cost and support
Private education, particularly at boarding schools, comes with a steep price tag. Tuition at schools like Choate Rosemary Hall runs close to $70,000 per year, comparable to the cost of many top universities. The scholarship covers the “day tuition,” or academic instruction, while families pay for room and board if students live on campus. In some cases, financial aid helps fill that gap.
For the Praters, the scholarship provides more than financial relief—it connects students to a network of peers and mentors nationwide. Each year, scholars gather for a weekend conference hosted by IEA, where they share experiences and build friendships that last into college and beyond.
Looking ahead
At RCA, Prater has already begun shaping his future interests. He works on the school’s tech team, running lights, sound, and screens during large events, and he plays basketball with hopes of one day working in the NBA—either in sports management or sports medicine. “Another future occupation that I’d love to have would be to be an NBA general manager,” he said, noting his interest in building teams and negotiating contracts.
Winning the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship now gives him a launching pad for those ambitions. The program not only funds his education but also provides counseling and advocacy throughout high school.
For Tyrone and Fayette County, Prater’s achievement highlights the global opportunities available to local students. His next step will be choosing the high school where he will begin this journey, backed by both his family and the support of the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship.
Ellie White-Stevens is the Editor of The Citizen and the Creative Director at Dirt1x. She strategizes and implements better branding, digital marketing, and original ideas to bring her clients bigger profits and save them time.
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