Roosevelt Student Given Scholarship to Howard University on Live TV

Roosevelt High School Senior Jada Cross received the news of a lifetime on a live recording of The Sherri Show when host Sherri Shepherd surprised her by announcing that she had earned a $15,000 scholarship to the historic Black college Howard University.

“Jada’s story exemplifies what’s possible when a student is committed to excelling and pursuing their dreams,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deborah Wortham. “She is an exemplary student who represented Roosevelt with pride on The Sherri Show. We can’t wait to hear about her accomplishments and exciting future at Howard University.”

Jada grew up in Jamaica before migrating to the United States with a goal of becoming the first person in her family to attend college. She is in the top ten in her class in academics, and a member of the District’s Scholar’s Academy and a majorette dance team.

“I wanted to go to Howard so I could build bonds and create relationships with different people across the country,” Jada told Sherri during her appearance. “I remember last year; I went with my majorette team to the Apollo for a step competition and the Howard step team was there and they were so amazing. That was like the icing on the cake for me in making my decision to go to Howard. It’s important for me to go to college because my parents didn’t get the chance to. Growing up in Jamaica, my education was limited. But thanks to my dad and my stepmom—they gave me this great opportunity to migrate to America to further my education and make a name for myself to become successful in life.”

“As the proud mother of a daughter who graduated from Howard University, I couldn’t be more excited to share the joy of this experience with Jada,” said Board of Education President Rose Gietschier. “I can’t wait for Jada to pursue her passions, become part of the community and find success at such an incredible university.”

While speaking with Sherri on The Sherri Show, Jada had believed she was waiting until April to hear back from Howard University regarding her application. However, Sherri invited Monica Lewis, an admissions representative from Howard, on stage during the interview to give Jada the much-anticipated news. Monica then presented Jada with an admissions letter, a crate of merchandise and a gigantic $15,000 cheque for a merit-based scholarship.

Jada immediately covered her mouth in surprise and smiled through tears of joy as she accepted the letter, merchandise and cheque. She said she looks forward to pursuing a major in Art Education and a minor in Psychology. Jada’s parents were in the audience during the announcement and shared how proud they were of their daughter for how hard she worked and how far she had come.

“One of our key initiatives at Roosevelt is to emphasize the significance of attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a pathway to success,” said Dr. Wortham, who is a graduate of the HBCU Morgan State University and a member of the first African American sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. “We have a growing number of students interested in pursuing higher education at HBCUs and we consistently inspire and encourage them to apply.”

To learn more about the Roosevelt Union Free School District, visit the District's website at https://www.rooseveltufsd.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RooseveltUFSD.