A Missouri high school student earned a scholarship to attend college and decided to donate his savings to help a friend get to school, too.
“He just has a heart for people,” St. Charles West High School counselor Yolanda Curry said of 18-year-old Joshua Nelson.
Nelson is about to graduate and has plans for college. “I plan to go to Southeast Missouri State and go into their pre-optometry program,” he told KSDK. “I’ll be majoring in biomedical sciences.”
Nelson, who is a three-year varsity basketball player and leads the school’s Multi-Cultural Achievement Committee, earned a scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State. After earning the scholarship Joshua made the decision to help another student get to college, too by donating the more than $1,000 he’d saved up and starting a scholarship fund.
Curry says she was very surprised by Joshua’s generosity. “I was really just blown away because I was not expecting that,” she told the outlet.
“I think he’s an inspiration to some of the other people at the school, especially students of color,” Joshua’s classmate Harmony Hudson said. “I don’t even think he realizes that he’s doing that much for everyone else as well.”
“I really thought it was important to give back to my community that poured so much into me,” Joshua said.
Joshua’s parents and teachers will be helping the soon-to-be graduate accept applications for the scholarship and hope that some donors will add to Joshua’s $1,000 startup funds.
“Honestly, it makes me feel on top of the world. The fact that I can just help somebody a little bit makes me feel great and I really want to see other people succeed.”
To learn more about the Joshua Nelson Scholarship In Action Scholarship Fund or to make a donation, click here.
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