Gates Millennium Scholars Program

The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program, established in 1999, is a 1.6 billion dollar initiative funded by grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Goal:
The goal of the GMS program is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential by:

Reducing financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need.

Increasing the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented.

Developing a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Providing seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.

Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help aid.

Renewable awards for Gates Millennium Scholars maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Graduate school funding for continuing Gates Millennium Scholars in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science.

Leadership development programs with distinctive personal, academic and professional growth opportunities.

GMS selected 1,000 new Scholars each year and we are now funding over 20,000 Gates Scholars since 2000.

Approximately 54% of scholars are first-generation students – the first ones in their families to go to college.

The average undergraduate GPA is just over 3.0.

The average first-year undergraduate student retention rate is 96.2% (Active or deferment) among Gates Scholars; the average second-year rate is 93.2% (Active/Deferment).

The  six-year graduation rate is nearly 90%, compared to the 58% of all college students in America (for low-income students specifically, the number is around 41%).

Nearly 37.5% percent of Gates Millennium Scholars transition into graduate school after earning a Bachelor’s degrees.

Gates Millennium Scholars have enrolled in 1,742 different colleges and universities.

14,677 Gates Millennium Scholars have completed a degree since the Program’s inception.

Of the active entering Freshmen in the 2015 cohort, 40.9% (n=399) are attending highly selective colleges which admit one-third or fewer of their applicants. 51.1% (n=499) are attending colleges which admit 40% or fewer of their applicants. 58.7% (n=574) are attending colleges which admit less than half of their applicants.

Gates Scholars have come from all 50 states and all American territories and commonwealths.

Noël Harmon
President & Executive Director

Elena Anderson
Chief Operating Officer

Kalindi Doshi
Campus Engagement Manager

Melissa May
Program Director

Arianne Martin
Program Manager

Leangelo Acuna
Program Assistant

Angelique Albert
Executive Director

Vacant 
Chief Operating Officer

Christa Moya
Director of Financial Aid & Student Services

Jinky Tenorio
Controller

Gabriel Bell
Campus Engagement Manager

Michael Bates
Academic Advisor

Nancy Moreno
Accounting Assistant

Adele Begay
IT Assistant

Erin Griego 
Executive Assistant

Vina Chavez
Receptionist

Fidel Vargas
CEO

Victoria Hardy
Senior Vice President, Finance & Accounting

Maria Iraheta
Manager, Finance

Daniel Edeza
Senior Vice President, Scholarship Programs

Daniel Garcia
Vice President, Scholarship Administration and Processing

Nicole Alonzo
Senior Manager, Scholarship Administration and Processing

Mireya Saldana
Campus Engagement Manager

Tania Ramirez
Analyst,  Scholarship Administration and Processing

Cristina Magana
Assistant,  Scholarship Administration and Processing

Janelyn Amaya
Assistant,  Scholarship Administration and Processing

GMS

Larry Griffith
Senior Vice President

Meredith Tatum
Senior Admin Assistant

Barry Nagle
Senior Research Associate

Outreach and Recruitment

Mary Williams
Director

Tanika Mangum
Relationship Manager

Operations Department

Julie Kim 
Executive Director

Jay Kohn
Senior Relationship Manager

Damien Nugent
Director, Financial Aid

Donna Pascua
Senior Relationship Manager

John Llewellyn
Senior Business Analyst

Martha Bryant
Program Assistant

Leadership Development Staff

Kelvin Harris
Director

Justin Bailey
Relationship Manager

Aaron Stallworth
Senior Relationship Manager for Alumni Relations

Star Mayo
Program Assistant