AURORA | Dondre Smallwood found out what it feels like to win a lottery of sorts and he plans to take full advantage of the ticket to his future.
Smallwood recently got the news that he was among one of 26 students from 10 Aurora high schools — and part of the fortunate 258 overall, 181 from Colorado, 38 from New Mexico, 15 from Utah and 24 from Wyoming — to receive a prized Daniels Fund scholarship, which allows them the resources to attend the college of their choice.
“They invited me to the 9News building downtown and they were pretending that all the people there were still just in the running, but we were all accepted,” Smallwood recalled. “They announced us on Channel 9; it was pretty cool.
“It was a feeling of winning the lottery, but knowing I earned it.”
What Smallwood and 25 other Aurora students — including fellow athletes Magnolia Landa-Posas and Matthew McBride from Hinkley, David Duarte of Gateway and Rangeview’s Casey Giles — won was the chance to go to a school of their choice thanks to the Daniels Fund, which was established by cable pioneer Bill Daniels. The scholarship seeks to help promising students who exhibit a strength of character, leadership and a record of giving back to the community.
Winners must apply for other financial aid, but the Daniels Fund covers the remaining tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies. Each student also gets a laptop and printer to take to school with them.
Smallwood plans to use his scholarship to attend Colorado State in Fort Collins, where he hopes to walk on to the football team. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder was a four-year varsity player as a running back and quarterback at Hinkley, as well as being an all-league caliber basketball player. He currently suits up as a reserve player on the baseball team.
“It would have been harder for me to go to school without the Daniels; I still would have gone, but it just would have been a different route,” said Smallwood, who would like to study environmental science. “I probably would have gone to a cheaper school like UCCS. With my family and the income, it would have been hard for my mom to help me out, so I applied a few other places as a backup. Now I can look forward to the future.”
Landa-Posas was a team captain for the Hinkley girls swim team in the winter season. Landa-Posas takes Community College of Aurora classes in addition to her coursework at Hinkley and has a GPA above 4.5. She plans to pursue a career in the medical field.
McBride played football with Smallwood and runs track at Hinkley, helping the Thunderbirds to second at the 56th Robert F. Caviness Invitational on April 21 with his contributions in the 800 meters and on relays. Academically, McBride is ranked third in Hinkley’s senior class.
Duarte finishes his prep career at Gateway with seven varsity athletic letters, four in soccer and three as a place kicker with the football team. As a center back, he was a driving force behind the Olys’ strong fall soccer season in which they went 14-3 and made the second round of the 5A state playoffs before losing to Cherry Creek.
Athletics were going to be Duarte’s ticket to college — he was close to accepting a soccer scholarship from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota — but the Daniels allows him to go to Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, where he will try to continue to play soccer as a walk-on.
“It’s a big relief; it was going to be a huge expense to go to Loyola so I probably would have gone to Saint Mary’s; now, I’m going to be able to go to a school I fell in love with when I visited,” said Duarte, who will be the first from his family to go to college.
“I would have had to make a really hard decision. At Saint Mary’s, I would have been able to play soccer and the coach wanted me there, but now I will try to walk on at Loyola. I believe in myself and I have coaches and family who think I can do it, so I’m going to try it. Soccer is a big part of my life.”
Duarte, who has a 4.25 GPA at Gateway, has plans to pursue a career in the medical field.
Giles — a two-way lineman — missed his senior football season with Rangeview because of a broken ankle, but has returned to health in time to throw with the track team. The 6-3, 255-pounder won both the discus and shot put at the Caviness Invitational on April 21. Giles is headed to play football at Colorado State-Pueblo.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
AURORA ATHLETE 2012 DANIELS FUND WINNERS
David Duarte, soccer/football, Gateway; Casey Giles, football/track & field, Rangeview; Magnolia Landa-Posas, swimming, Hinkley; Matthew McBride, football/track & field, Hinkley; Dondre Smallwood, football/basketball/baseball, Hinkley
AURORA 2012 DANIELS FUND WINNERS
Aurora Central: Shiva L Sapkota, Tsion Shiferaw, Joseph Soto, Mayra Lizeth Coronado Garcia, Kevin Daniel Dominguez; Cherokee Trail: Aisha Naveed Iqbal, Makayla Machel McFail; Eaglecrest: Lisbel Torres; Gateway: David Alexander Duarte-Corado; Grandview: Stephanie Adannaya Emenyonu, Zion Wolkeba Gezaw; Hinkley: Matthew Koman McBride, Dondre Deman Smallwood, Magnolia Landa-Posas, Joseph Joshua Little Bird; Overland: Letarik Amare, Makkawi Atif Makkawi, Yonas Gebremeskel Ambaye, William Lyman Harris, Haleema Nawab Mian, Shiema Abdelmonim Elhussen, Haseeb Rahat; Rangeview: Casey Joseph Giles; Regis Jesuit: Nnaoma Agwu; Smoky Hill: Sonnie Sanghyun Lee, Keane Gonzales Lim
