(Petersburg, Va. – August 24, 2017) – Virginia State University (VSU) student Joel Goddot has been awarded the (Educational Testing Service) ETS Presidential Scholarship for HBCU Students for the 2017-2018 academic year. Goddot is one of only eight students selected and he is the first VSU student to be awarded the ETS Presidential Scholarship.

The ETS Presidential Scholarship recognizes rising juniors and seniors at historically black colleges and universities who have established a record of outstanding academic performance in college, both overall and in their major field, and who exhibit an interest in leadership in their chosen field. Students had to be recommended by the President of their university for their outstanding academic college performance.

ETS’s Presidential Scholarship competition is designed to recognize talented upper-level undergraduate students. Students from all majors and disciplines are eligible to apply for the one-year scholarship. The scholarship covers tuition only.

Goddot, who is a junior majoring in computer science, expressed what it meant to him to be awarded such a prestigious scholarship.

“I am honored and so excited to be selected as a recipient of the ETS Presidential Scholarship for HBCU students, said Goddot, who is a member of the VSU Honors Program. “I am also very grateful for this generous assistance to my education. The award provides me an amazing opportunity to attend school as a full-time student, which brings me one step closer to becoming a college graduate and eventually a college professor. The ETS demonstrates its faith in the potential of the future generation to carry on the excellence and the task of service. To me, that’s an encouragement to strongly commit to my education and give back to my community.”