HOUSTON – KPRC 2 and American Furniture Warehouse are surprising 20 deserving high school seniors with scholarships in 2024. All students selected for scholarships have been nominated by their high schools.
Abigail Mathews has a bright future. The Heights High School senior has overcome trauma in her personal life and is earning good grades with her sights set on attending the University of Houston.
Mathews devotes herself to being a caretaker for a close family member. She also carves out time for volunteer work with Libre Institute and Conversing Through Poetry.
Focusing on her health, Mathews credits running with helping her persevere through difficult times. In her scholarship surprise interview, Mathews noted that by going to college, she would be proving everyone wrong, including her younger self. “College will not only give me numerous opportunities but also assure I have a place to live and eat - a significant piece in helping me achieve the stability and future I’ve lacked my whole life,” Mathews stated in her scholarship nomination essay.
Abigail Mathews plans to study Computer Engineering.
Heights High School is part of the Houston Independent School District.
You can see the scholarship surprise for Abigail Mathews in the video player at the top of this article. KPRC 2′s Zach Lashway also interviewed Mathews via Zoom to talk about her scholarship surprise.