Leander High School student overcomes setbacks, earns scholarship to prestigious university

Leander High School student overcomes setbacks, earns scholarship to prestigious university

By Joseph M. de Leon Wednesday, 20 May 2009

When Cymone Gates fled Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she couldn’t have imagined how Leander High School would shape her future.

Earlier this month, Cymone accepted a full-tuition scholarship to Emory University in Atlanta where she plans to study neuroscience. The prestigious research campus is often referred to as being a member of the Southern Ivy League.

The 17-year-old declined a Sam Walton Community Scholarship she was awarded this month in hopes another student would benefit. Cymone was among 10 Austin-area high school students awarded the $3,000 scholarship from the Wal-Mart Foundation.

When the hurricane devastated the Gulf Cost, it closed schools, washed away neighborhoods and ripped families apart.

Cymone and her mother, Alisia Hill, lived in San Antonio for three weeks then Harker Heights for several months before moving back to Louisiana. They found the school system there in ruins.

“It was the worst part of my life — I kept wondering if I’d ever see my friends or family, I didn’t know where we were going to live,” Cymone said. “I didn’t realize the good fortune I would eventually have, coming to Leander.”

In 2006, Cymone and her mother lived with extended family in Harvey just outside New Orleans. That’s when Hill hatched a plan: she would move to a state that would give her daughter the best education possible.

“At first, we were looking anywhere, even considered private schools in North Carolina,” Cymone said. “But we were already familiar with Texas schools and we knew Austin schools were good, so we narrowed it down to a few.”

Cymone knew she wanted a school with an eight-period day so she could make up for the time she lost during the aftermath of Katrina. Top-notch school clubs, an honor society and a local chapter of the Health Occupations Students of America helped persuade her to choose Leander High School.

They moved in August 2007, even before Hill found a job in the Austin area as a medical records clerk.

“We had some hard times, but we made it through because I was thinking about what she was doing for me,” Cymone said. “I didn’t know there were schools so much better than the ones I had been going to.”

The medical field has long fascinated Cymone. During elementary school, she couldn’t stop talking about science. Last year, she participated in competitions sponsored by the Health Occupations Students of America. She placed second in the area contest and fifth in the state match.

“I love science because you’re always learning something new, it’s never boring,” she said. “In high school, I started taking classes that helped me realize I can do this.”

Cymone distinguished herself at Leander High School after participating in AmeriCorps, the Race for the Cure, the Austin Heart Walk, Relay for Life and efforts to help rebuild New Orleans. She also was inducted into the National Honors Society and the Spanish National Honors Society.

After graduation next month, Cymone plans to volunteer for a local non-profit organization during the summer before moving to Atlanta. She hopes to find an ongoing program where she can help rebuild communities, clean the environment or work with young children.

“I’m excited and nervous at the same time about the future,” Cymone said. “Emory is an extremely difficult school, but I plan to stay focused because I have the mindset to do it.”