Fern Creek High School senior mulling over several lucrative college scholarships

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Fern Creek High School student is facing some tough choices when it comes to higher education.

"I knew that I wanted to go to a liberal arts college," said TaeVon Gibbs, a senior at Fern Creek High School. "It's exciting to have options."

Those options include the stress of navigating offers from a dozen colleges.

"But it's also scary to have to pick an option," Gibbs said. "And what if I pick the wrong one?"

In the words of Jay Z, he may have 99 problems — when it comes to picking a college — but tuition ain't one.

TaeVon and his family spent Friday afternoon looking over some of the academic scholarship offers he's received. So far, it's up to $1.6 million.

"It's a huge relief," said Shavonda Alexander, TaeVon's mother. "And that's only seven of the schools. He couldn't find all of the scholarships that were offered to him."

TaeVon is also on the boy's basketball team, and he is in Fern Creek's Ivy Plus Academy, which is a program that helps get high-achieving students into top-rated colleges.

"You come in as a freshman, and you take rigorous courses from the day you step on campus," he said.

Right now, he's still undecided, but an offer from Hanover College is at the top of his list. Wofford College is also being considered.

In a recent surprise zoom call, Gibbs was offered the prestigious Benjamin Templeton Scholarship, which is named in honor of Hanover's first black student.

"It means a lot to be selected for that scholarship," he said. "It really does."

Gibbs' parents said he not only excels in the classroom, but he is also a role model away from school.

"When I tell you, the youngest brothers, friends, cousins, basketball players, any kid that crosses his path, they look up to him," Alexander said.