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Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholars Program
The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholars Program provides financial support, leadership development experiences, and service opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need, strong academic potential, and interest in and commitment to community service.
About the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program
DEVELOPING COMMUNITY AND GLOBAL LEADERS
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Overview
What is the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program?
The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholars Program provides financial support, leadership development experiences, and service opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need, strong academic potential, and interest in and commitment to community service. The program seeks to develop community and global leaders through leadership development and service experiences during the academic year and provides an opportunity to travel to South Africa during the summer to engage in service and leadership experiences.
The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship Program is for students who demonstrate both academic merit, commitment to service, and financial need. To be eligible for selection as an Oprah Winfrey Scholar, students must have:
A minimum High School GPA of 3.2 or 3.0 Morehouse College GPA
A combined SAT of 1200 or ACT of 26
A demonstrated commitment to service, and An EFC (expected family contribution) of $5,000 or less.
The specific service requirements of program participation will change each year with an expectation that, during their matriculation at Morehouse College, students will serve as mentors for middle and high school students, serve as implementers of a leadership program at a local middle and high school, and participate in other service activities with Oprah Scholars. Additionally, scholars must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and complete 15 credit hours each semester. Fulfilling program participation requirements is necessary to maintain the scholarship.
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How to Apply
How to Apply for The OWSP
Each spring the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program Office solicits applications from eligible incoming freshmen and students who meet the eligibility criteria. New scholars are selected by May of each year to begin participation in the fall. -
Leadership
Program Leadership
Jann H. Adams, Ph.D.
jann.adams@morehouse.eduDirector, Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarships Program
Lead Director, Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership
Advisory Board 2020-2021- Harold Bennett, Associate Professor of Religion
- Uzee Brown, Division Chair, Creative and Performing Arts
- Leah Creque, Professor of English
- Terrence Dixon, Vice President of Enrollment Management
- Monique Dozier, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer
- Juliet Elu, Division Chair, Business Administration and Economics
- Micah J. Holmes, Business Administration Major, Class of 2020
- Kipton Jensen, Associate Professor of Philosophy; Director, Leadership Studies Program, AYCGL
- Belinda Johnson-White, Associate Professor of Business Administration
- Frederick Knight, Associate Professor of History; Director, Institute for Research, Civic Engagement, and Policy, AYCGL
- Jaylen D. Lowe, Psychology Major, Class of 2021
- Emannuel Onifade, Professor of Business Administration
- David Wall Rice, Professor of Psychology; Director, Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, AYCGL
- Wallace Sharif, Assistant Professor of Biology
- Ruihua Shen, Professor of Chinese Studies; Director, Office of International Education, AYCGL
- Levar Smith, Assistant Professor of Political Science
- Ulrica Wilson, Associate Professor of Mathematics; Director, James King, Jr. Institute for Student Engagement and RISE Program
- Sinead Younge, Professor of Psychology
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South Africa Leadership
Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership program
The Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership program is a transformative education abroad experience for Oprah Winfrey scholars that includes travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. The experience includes meetings with community leaders and university and other academic officials, faculty, and students. Universities visited include the University of Western Cape, University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, and Stellenbosch University. Days of service allow students to participate in service activities that have included condom distribution and other activities at the Sonke Gender Justice Field Program and service at the Mahou Center Orphanage for children orphaned by AIDS.
Visits to historic sites and organizations dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of apartheid and reconciliation allow students to learn the extraordinary history of South Africa. Visits include the Apartheid Museum and the Leah and Desmond Tutu Foundation. Finally, excursions to Pilanesburg National Park, Cape Point, and Table Mountain encourage students to enjoy the country's natural beauty.
During this valuable experience, students and faculty have the opportunity to participate in focused discussions and reflection on experiences and examine issues of race, poverty, reconciliation, privilege, and much more. Each student completes an electronic portfolio of experiences documenting and reflecting upon their learning about South Africa and themselves. Through reflections and personal narratives, the scholars create a comprehensive living document of experience and chronicle the significant and transformative impact of the experience on them and their place in the world. Oprah Winfrey Scholars return to the United States with a greater understanding of the sociopolitical and economic conditions in South Africa and their relationship to the United States and other parts of the world.
What is the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program?
The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholars Program provides financial support, leadership development experiences, and service opportunities for students with demonstrated financial need, strong academic potential, and interest in and commitment to community service. The program seeks to develop community and global leaders through leadership development and service experiences during the academic year and provides an opportunity to travel to South Africa during the summer to engage in service and leadership experiences.
The Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship Program is for students who demonstrate both academic merit, commitment to service, and financial need. To be eligible for selection as an Oprah Winfrey Scholar, students must have:
A minimum High School GPA of 3.2 or 3.0 Morehouse College GPA
A combined SAT of 1200 or ACT of 26
A demonstrated commitment to service, and An EFC (expected family contribution) of $5,000 or less.
The specific service requirements of program participation will change each year with an expectation that, during their matriculation at Morehouse College, students will serve as mentors for middle and high school students, serve as implementers of a leadership program at a local middle and high school, and participate in other service activities with Oprah Scholars. Additionally, scholars must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and complete 15 credit hours each semester. Fulfilling program participation requirements is necessary to maintain the scholarship.
How to Apply for The OWSP
Each spring the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program Office solicits applications from eligible incoming freshmen and students who meet the eligibility criteria. New scholars are selected by May of each year to begin participation in the fall.Program Leadership
Jann H. Adams, Ph.D.
jann.adams@morehouse.edu
Director, Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarships Program
Lead Director, Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership
Advisory Board 2020-2021
- Harold Bennett, Associate Professor of Religion
- Uzee Brown, Division Chair, Creative and Performing Arts
- Leah Creque, Professor of English
- Terrence Dixon, Vice President of Enrollment Management
- Monique Dozier, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer
- Juliet Elu, Division Chair, Business Administration and Economics
- Micah J. Holmes, Business Administration Major, Class of 2020
- Kipton Jensen, Associate Professor of Philosophy; Director, Leadership Studies Program, AYCGL
- Belinda Johnson-White, Associate Professor of Business Administration
- Frederick Knight, Associate Professor of History; Director, Institute for Research, Civic Engagement, and Policy, AYCGL
- Jaylen D. Lowe, Psychology Major, Class of 2021
- Emannuel Onifade, Professor of Business Administration
- David Wall Rice, Professor of Psychology; Director, Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, AYCGL
- Wallace Sharif, Assistant Professor of Biology
- Ruihua Shen, Professor of Chinese Studies; Director, Office of International Education, AYCGL
- Levar Smith, Assistant Professor of Political Science
- Ulrica Wilson, Associate Professor of Mathematics; Director, James King, Jr. Institute for Student Engagement and RISE Program
- Sinead Younge, Professor of Psychology
Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership program
The Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership program is a transformative education abroad experience for Oprah Winfrey scholars that includes travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. The experience includes meetings with community leaders and university and other academic officials, faculty, and students. Universities visited include the University of Western Cape, University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, and Stellenbosch University. Days of service allow students to participate in service activities that have included condom distribution and other activities at the Sonke Gender Justice Field Program and service at the Mahou Center Orphanage for children orphaned by AIDS.
Visits to historic sites and organizations dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of apartheid and reconciliation allow students to learn the extraordinary history of South Africa. Visits include the Apartheid Museum and the Leah and Desmond Tutu Foundation. Finally, excursions to Pilanesburg National Park, Cape Point, and Table Mountain encourage students to enjoy the country's natural beauty.
During this valuable experience, students and faculty have the opportunity to participate in focused discussions and reflection on experiences and examine issues of race, poverty, reconciliation, privilege, and much more. Each student completes an electronic portfolio of experiences documenting and reflecting upon their learning about South Africa and themselves. Through reflections and personal narratives, the scholars create a comprehensive living document of experience and chronicle the significant and transformative impact of the experience on them and their place in the world. Oprah Winfrey Scholars return to the United States with a greater understanding of the sociopolitical and economic conditions in South Africa and their relationship to the United States and other parts of the world.