Celebrating Destiney Barbosa, 2026 Gates Scholarship Scholar!

Please join us in congratulating Destiney Barbosa for being selected as a 2026 Gates Scholarship Scholar.

The Gates Scholarship is one of the most prestigious and competitive academic honors in the country. This year, Destiney was selected as one of only 750 scholars nationwide from a pool of over 61,000 applicants. To put that in perspective, that is an acceptance rate of roughly 1%!

This life-changing achievement recognizes Destiney’s outstanding academic record, leadership, and perseverance. As a Gates Scholar, 
Destiney has earned a full-ride scholarship to attend Columbia University, where she will be studying Electrical Engineering this fall.

The Gates Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance—including tuition, fees, room, board, and books—allowing Destiney to focus entirely on her studies and her future as an engineer. 
Destiney, your hard work, brilliance, and dedication have truly paid off. Our entire community is incredibly proud of you, and we cannot wait to see the impact you will make at Columbia and beyond!

Please join us in congratulating Destiney on this monumental achievement!