12-03-2025
Decatur graduate among Alabama A&M scholarship recipients
Mar. 12—Tyana Swan was one of 19 Decatur and Austin high school students offered presidential scholarships to attend Alabama A&M University in the fall.
Alabama A&M President Daniel Wims recently took a 26-stop bus tour to award more than $22 million in scholarships to talented students in the state.
Swan, a senior at Decatur High School, was offered a $20,000 tuition scholarship and decided to take the university up on the offer.
"I was supper happy and overwhelmed," she said upon learning of the scholarship.
Other scholarship recipients from Decatur High School include Vega Zaman, Chelsey Pearson and Taylor Atkins (a 2024 graduate). Recipients from Austin High School include Jordan Brown, Taylor Chatman, Jordan Davis, Taylor Duncan-Padgett, Ryliee Elliott, Jayla Ford, Amiya Griffin, Richard Williams, Jaedyn Johnson, Alexis Jordan, Kenneth Joshua, Molly McMahan, Kimora Owens, Zaniyah Williams and Ashari Willis. (Not all these students will attend A&M.)
Anita Clarke, secondary curriculum supervisor for Decatur City Schools, said A&M offered $375,000 in scholarships in the amounts of $16,000, $20,000 and $34,000.
The scholarship is divided over four years, she said.
"This gives them the opportunity to further their dreams and aspirations, and for a local college to support our babies in this way is an absolute blessing," Clarke said.
Swan did not apply for the A&M scholarship, she was chosen.
Applicants must have a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, according to A&M. They must have an ACT score of at least 28 or an SAT score of 1310 or above.
As she finishes out her high school career, she will be staying on the A&M campus this fall beginning in September. She plans to study computer science, but she is unsure of the career path she will pursue.
"I know I want to work with computers and work alongside more people who also share a common interest in computer science," she said.
Swan has known other successes during her high school career including being named Decatur High homecoming queen.
She is also vice president of the student council and a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Social Studies Honor Society.
She is part of the track and field team, where she likes to run the 200-meter dash and compete in the long jump. She is also part of the girls 4 by 400 relay team, which took second place in a meet Saturday at James Clemens High School, she said.
She is proud of her community service work through her high school sorority, Alpha Beta Omega.
"We do a lot of community service," she said. This year they gathered up some 20 prom dresses for a prom-dress drive for those in need.
About the A&M scholarship, she said, "I'm very blessed and very thankful and appreciative to A&M for offering me a scholarship, and I'm very excited."
The A&M presidential scholarship is renewable for up to eight semesters. It covers the cost of tuition, room, board and fees. It also includes a $1,000 book allowance per semester.
To renew, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50. They must also complete a minimum of 30 credit hours per academic year.
The president's bus tour to deliver scholarships ran Feb. 24 through Sunday.
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