JACKSON (AP) — A university is creating scholarships to honor one of its graduates who is the author of bestselling young adult novels.
The Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship program will be at Belhaven University, based in Jackson, Mississippi.
Thomas wrote “The Hate U Give,” about an African American teenager who sees a police officer shoot and kill her best friend, and “On the Come Up,” about a young rapper who finds her identity and confronts stereotypes through music.
One creative writing major at Belhaven will receive a scholarship to cover all expenses for tuition, room and board for four years, the university said in a news release Thursday. Other top applicants may receive smaller awards.
Thomas graduated from Belhaven with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2011. “The Hate U Give” was published in 2017 and was released as a movie in 2018. “On the Come Up” was published in 2019, and Thomas is working as a producer of the movie that is in development.
“Angie has shown us all that a voice of significance can reach and change the world,” Belhaven President Roger Parrott said in the news release.
Thomas said she appreciates Belhaven naming a scholarship for her, and she is encouraging young people to apply. The deadline is March 1.
“Let’s face it — financial hardship is a huge obstacle for so many young people when it comes to college,” Thomas said, including herself.
“This scholarship will remove that stress for some young person and allow them to put more of their energy into their studies,” Thomas said in a news release.