High school student in Cumberland County wins $40,000 scholarship

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — A Cumberland County high school student is one of only two in the nation to win a $40,000 scholarship from a nonprofit this month, officials said.

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Nimaya Williams, a junior at Westover High School in Fayetteville, received the monthly $40,000 BigFuture Scholarship after she completed college and career planning steps through College Board’s BigFuture platform, according to Cumberland County Schools officials.

“I’m about to cry,” Nimaya said in a statement. “This is life changing, but I feel I was destined to do great things.”

According to district officials, BigFuture is a free online college planner that awards $500 and $40,000 scholarships to eligible students attending two- or four-year colleges. The platform can be used without essays, test scores, GPAs, or family income requirements.

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“I’m excited and a little caught off guard, but for her, this will definitely be a start for her future,” Nimaya’s mother Shantay Dupree said in a statement. “She has so many things that she’s great at and this step will be huge for her. This will help ‘Mom’ out with college, too, so she doesn’t have to go to a tech [technical school] or anything because money is tight. Now, she has more opportunities.”

District officials said Nimaya was awarded the $40,000 scholarship at a surprise presentation.

“Moments like this remind us that there are no limits to what our [Westover] Wolverines can accomplish,” Westover High Principal Tremaine Canteen said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating this milestone and the bright future that lies ahead for Nimaya. Thank you,
BigFuture.”

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