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Pascagoula High School senior Jasmine Calvillo, 17, has won a $1 million scholarship from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. (April Havens/ahavens@al.com)
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- What do you do when you suddenly realize all of your educational goals are possible?
If you're 17-year-old Jasmine Calvillo, you squeal in front of your mailbox while clinching a $1 million scholarship award letter from the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.
Calvillo is Pascagoula High School's fourth ever recipient of the scholarship, which was established in 1999 by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The scholarship gives 1,000 students from across the country access to renewable scholarships they can use to obtain bachelor, graduate and doctorate degrees. Previous winners from PHS include Luz Martinez (2012), Chantel Taite (2011) and Chantel Bonner (2011).
Calvillo, who plans to become an anesthesiologist, received her award notification in the mail last week during spring break.
"Every single day for three days I ran to the mailbox, and my neighbors would stare at me," the teen said Tuesday from the PHS library. "When I finally saw it, I started screaming in front of my mailbox."
She knew before she opened the rather large award packet that she had won, she said.
"I was in shock, and no one was home," she said, and she was bursting to tell someone.
The scholarship, which requires Calvillo to maintain good grades, will go to help her receive a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and master's and doctorate degrees in public health.
"I want to go to Millsap's for one year and then transfer to Harvard," she said.
To secure the scholarship, Calvillo had to submit eight essays and have a nominator and recommender submit materials on her behalf.
In the essays, which asked about her leadership skills, favorite and least favorite subjects, hardships she has faced and other topics, Calvillo focused on anecdotes "so they could really get to know me," she said.
"I told them about me living in Mexico and the Philippines, that I was aware of what it was like to live in a third-world country and want to succeed," she said.
Her experiences there, Calvillo said, made her aware of the struggles of many and also made her want to give back.
Once established as a doctor, she would like to return and create medical facilities to help take care of those who can least afford medical treatment.
"I don't want to just give them medical care, though," she said. "I want to teach them how to succeed and let them know it's not all bad. I want to teach them to also be the kind of person who wants to influence the best in others."
Cavillo said news of the scholarship has already traveled to her hometown of Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila, in northern Mexico.
"They keep calling me," she said with a wide, bright smile.
"They know I want to go to Harvard, and that's one of the only schools here that they know by name back in my hometown," she said. "One said that I not only brought honor to my family but also to the town. That was overwhelming."
Derek Read, a guidance counselor at the district's College and Career Technical Institute who served as Calvillo's nominator and recommender, said it was like Christmas morning when he learned of the award.
"I got an email that I read on my phone, and the title was 'OMG,'" he said Tuesday. "It was awesome. I called my wife, and she was so happy. I told both my kids. I responded that I was so proud of her. I knew this scholarship was going to allow her to do all she wanted to do."
Read has known Calvillo for about four years, he said, and Calvillo says he's "more like family" than a mentor.
"When I met Jasmine, I knew that she was one of those special, special students," Read said. "Then I learned she had very ambitious goals, but I knew she would be more than capable if she had a chance."
Calvillo is the daughter of Jose Calvillo and Jocelyn Calvillo.