OAKLEAF – Maba Yared worked with his parents to fill out every scholarship application they could find. While they were hoping to put together some smaller grants, they were surprised to learn the Oakleaf senior was one of five winners in Northeast Florida of the $50,000 Farah & Farah Empowering Greatness Scholarship.

Yared, who was honored Tuesday night at the school’s gym, will get his first two years at the University of North Florida paid for by the law firm.

“I believe my parents’ story, their struggles, is what impressed them,” Yared said. His parents migrated to the United States from Ethiopia. They faced challenges in paying the rent and buying groceries, much less paying for college, in the new country.”

Yared said he picked North Florida and his parents to stay close to him.

“They left because it was a dictatorship. It was hard to make a living,” Yared said.

According to Farah & Farah, the scholarship committee used a rubric to rank all completed applications. The top 10% of applicants will advance to a judges’ panel for review and final selections. Winners were notified on May 1.

The scholarship judges panel consisted of Fla. Rep. Anna Eskamani, Jaguars Vice President of Social Responsibility and Impact Neisha Tate, Action News Jax’s Tenikka Smith Hughes, I’m A Star Foundation Founder and Executive Director

Betty Burney, 2022 Empowering Greatness Scholarship winner Zaniyah Williams, Helios Education Foundation Vice President of Marketing and Communications Grace Maseda and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Jacksonville Public Education Dante Jennings.

Yared said he wants to study civil engineering.