Derrick Rose starts a scholarship program for high school students

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Derrick Rose has helped his hometown of Chicago with a multitude of charitable works, but Wednesday night, he started a new program that can help out a select few from around the country.

The former Bulls point guard announced the launch of The Rose Scholars, which will provide scholarship money to three motivated high school students for their college expenses.

One student will win up to $200,000, while two others will be given up to $20,000. To be eligible, the applicant needs to be a high school sophomore, junior or senior and a United States resident.

Rose posted a letter on the scholarship’s website, telling people why he came up with the idea.

“As I started to reflect on my service to others, the idea of The Rose Scholars program started to form,” Rose wrote. “An award that would reflect on my desire to find greatness, my dedication to perseverance and determination, my passion for self empowerment, and my wish to elevate it in promising individuals.

“I know we can all identify a moment where our lives changed. A new path opened up to us that was not previously available. This new path allowed us to make different decisions and start to imagine new possibilities. This is exactly what the Rose Scholars program is meant to achieve in each and every one of you that applies.”

According to the website, the deadline for the application is Sept. 30 and the winners of the awards will be told around Oct. 15.

The three-time NBA All-Star has a history of giving back to communities across the country. In 2014, Rose donated $1 million to a non-profit organization in Chicago called After School Matters, which gives apprenticeship opportunities to teens.

“I feel that I have a personal responsibility to help you be better, achieve more and dream bigger, Rose said in his statement. “So, thank you.”

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