Malden High's Susan Choy, Wan Yi Fang earn way to college as Gates Millennium scholars
If Susan Choy and Wan Yi Fang could add Bill Gates to their instant-message buddy list, they'd tell him this: 2G2BT.
That's IM talk for "Too Good to be True."
What else would they say to the
"Thank you. Thank you," Fang , 18, said with a smile. "I know he's the richest man in the world. . . . I'm grateful that he's helping me."
"It's just awesome," chimed in Choy, also 18.
Choy and Fang -- both graduating today from Malden High School -- are among 1,000 high school seniors selected this year as Gates Millennium Scholars, a program for low-income minority students funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Winners receive grants toward college expenses all the way through graduate school.
Fang's road to success had a bumpy start. She emigrated from China at age 2, and her family had a hard time adapting to life in a new country. At age 4, she was placed in a foster home in Greenfield. Eventually, she was reunited with her mother in East Boston. But more hard times followed. At age 10, bullied by kids in her neighborhood, Fang started skipping school and staying out all night. She was again placed in foster care, this time in Malden with her aunt and uncle, with whom she still lives.
"They disciplined me and forced me to go to school," said Fang, who entered Malden schools in fifth grade. "It took awhile for me to adjust . . . But I knew I could change. I'm happy I did."
Fang will head to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in the fall while Choy will attend Boston College. As Gates scholars, they were chosen from a pool of 11,000 applicants nationwide. Their selection marks the third year in a row that Malden High has had a Gates winner, and the first time the school has had two in the same year.
"Once a school gets one Gates scholar, we usually find they work hard to identify other strong candidates," said Charles Evans , a spokesman for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program , based in Fairfax, Va.
Malden's first two Gates scholars, Huy Trinh and Karen Chen , now attend Boston College. Trinh, a junior majoring in philosophy, coaches Malden High students in how to apply for a Millennium scholarship. Over his winter break, he holds a workshop for those interested, and meets one-on-one with students who decide to apply. The application includes eight essay questions on topics such as favorite subjects, leadership qualities, and character development.
"I tell them 'Don't write for the person who is reading this application. Write about your passion, who you are,' " said Trinh, 20, who was born in Vietnam. "You have to take that approach. There are 11,000 kids applying for 1,000 scholarships."
Choy and Fang took the advice to heart. Each spent weeks preparing their applications.
"I worked on it over Christmas vacation," said Fang. "I spent most of that time working on my essays."
"I hoped I would be a strong applicant," added Choy, whose parents were born in China. "I felt I had done a lot at Malden High."
To apply for the Gates scholarship, students must have at least a 3.3 grade-point average. They also must demonstrate leadership, community service, and have strong extracurricular activities. Scholarship amounts vary, depending on financial need. To be eligible, students must meet the income guidelines for the federal Pell Grant for low-income students.
Once a college determines how much scholarship and grant money it will give a student, the Gates foundation pays for the rest. Students are not required to take out loans or get work-study jobs. "The whole point is for them to get out of college without any loans," Evans said.
At the graduate level, Gates scholars are eligible for fellowships in the areas of math, education, engineering, library science, computer science, science, and public health. The amounts are $20,000 to attend a public university and $30,000 for a private college. "There's a lot of opportunity and chances for higher education," Evans said.
Choy and Fang haven't yet decided on a college major, never mind grad school. They're still riding high at Malden High. Choy is ranked seventh, and Fang 16th, in the class of 364 seniors. Each also has a long list of extracurricular achievements.
Fang is president of the senior class. Last summer she lived with a family in Argentina, where she worked in a soup kitchen, a home for the elderly, and at a school for mentally disabled children.
At Malden High, she played on the freshman basketball team and ran track as a sophomore. She's secretary of the school's National Honor Society chapter, and helped to organize a School Pride Day.
Choy is the editor of the Blue and Gold school newspaper, and is the senior class secretary. She was the captain of the girls' cross-country, indoor, and outdoor track teams. As a Key Club member, she volunteered to work in soup kitchens. She helped create an off-campus lunch program and renovate student bathrooms as a member of Project 540, a student action group.
"I didn't want to just do well in my classes," said Choy, the youngest of four children. "I wanted to help my community, and make my school a better place."
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com. 
