Milwaukee twins earned $1M in scholarships
Pair will go to Marquette, join nursing program
The Williams sisters had their choice to attend one of 37 universities that offered them scholarships but have decided to stay close to home.
Twin sisters, Arielle and Arianna Williams, are graduating from Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy, a Milwaukee charter school, and have received a combined $1 million in scholarships. They plan on attending Marquette University in the fall.
Currently the sisters are focusing on finishing their senior year.
With the coronavirus pandemic making a significant impact on the health care system, the sisters have decided to enter the nursing program at Marquette University.
“I want to do something that’s essential, that will always need to be around,” Arielle said in an interview with WISN.
Arianna added, “This is the time when we need more nurses, and I’m willing to become one.”
The sisters told “Good Morning America” they decided to study nursing after caring for their father who was ill with pneumonia and had a stroke.
“With this pandemic going on, I know that nurses are really needed,” Arianna said. “They’re on the front lines saving lives. I want to be a part of that.”
According to “Good Morning America,” the two sisters are graduating at the top of their class with Arianna having a 3.77 grade point average with Arielle right behind her at 3.76.
“My school played a big part, they nurtured us to college,” said Arielle, who is older by two minutes. “Even though we shut down, it’s never stopped. Mentors reached out calling, texting, whatever it takes.”
Besides doing their homework, the sisters are also involved in the Black Student Union, National Honor Society and worked part-time jobs at Walmart, according to WISN.
Their advice to other high school students is simple — don’t procrastinate.
“Do not be lazy,” Arianna said in an interview with CBS 58. “Do the most. Go above and beyond.”
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy Principal Judith Parker said the sisters have been focused on going to college and their mother Stephanie “has been the guiding force behind their development as scholars and young women.”
“The family is so supportive of their daughters and have instilled in them a sense of personal pride and excellence that is typically found in our most accomplished scholars,” Parker said. “They are persistent, ambitious, and humble in everything they undertake they do with maturity and drive. They enjoy a good challenge and have an optimism about the world that leads them to be curious and adventurous in their studies and extracurricular experiences. They embody in every way our focus on college achievement and character.”