Excel with My Town Miracles
Excel Leadership & Scholarship Program
The Excel Leadership & Scholarship Program equips Memphis high school seniors to pursue college, trade school, and career pathways with confidence. Through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and service learning, we walk with students from their first application through graduation. Once accepted, college students remain a part of the program throughout their entire post-secondary journey.
Your investment doesn’t just fund tuition.
It equips Memphis youth with skills, mentorship, and a commitment to serving their community, creating a cycle of leadership and impact that multiplies year after year.
The Excel with My Town Miracles Scholarship will allocate multiple awards to Memphis-based graduating high school seniors and currently enrolled Excel recipients for the 2025–2026 school year. Scholarships will range from $250 to $5,000 based on need, academic performance, and leadership engagement.
Excel also offers exclusive scholarship opportunities at two partner universities: Bethel University (McKenzie, TN) and Union University (Jackson, TN).
Both schools provide generous four-year scholarships for accepted students. Applications are due February 18, 2026. Eligible applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA and an 18 ACT score. Awards typically average $10,000 per year.
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Who We Serve
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Seniors from Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Charter Schools
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First-generation college students, primarily from Title I schools
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Students with $0 EFC and Pell eligibility
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2025–2026 Highlights
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$42,500 in scholarships awarded
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30 recipients (16 returning, 14 new)
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Awards range from $500–$10,000
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Students attending: University of Memphis, Rhodes, UTK, MTSU, Jackson State, CBU, Xavier and more
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Our Approach
The Excel Leadership & Scholarship Program is not a one-time award. It is a multi-year investment in students’ success and Memphis’s future.
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Scholarship funding applied in both traditional and nontraditional ways to remove barriers to education
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Relational mentorship from high school senior year through college or trade school graduation
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Leadership development through orientation, workshops, and ongoing training
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Service learning that ensures scholars give back to their community — serving at the Fred L. Davis Memorial Food Drive each summer and wrapping gifts for the Christmas Initiative during holiday break
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Financial literacy training in partnership with Simmons Bank
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Accountability & growth through service requirements, leadership expectations, and semester check-ins
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Our Partnership
Excel began as a program of the Memphis Leadership Foundation, led by Tracy Anthony. Since 2020, My Town Miracles has provided an additional $45,000 in scholarships, strengthening the financial and relational support available to students.
Excel will officially become a program of My Town Miracles in 2026, expanding our shared commitment to long-term investment in Memphis youth.​​