MHS Senior earns prestigious Gates Scholarship
We’re proud to announce that one of our Madras High School seniors has earned the highly prestigious Gates Scholarship. Miriam Egoavil was selected as a recipient of the highly competitive scholarship which recognizes her outstanding academic record in high school, her leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills. She will graduate with a 4.28 weighted GPA.
Miriam learned she received the scholarship shortly after track practice in late April.
“I looked at my phone and I just saw an email saying, ‘congratulations.’ I was like, oh my gosh and I jumped up and down a couple times. Then I called my mom.
On that phone call, Miriam didn’t come right out and tell her mom that she received it. Instead, she asked her mom to guess before sharing her exciting news.
“She was really excited. Excited like how I was and really energetic. We never expected this at all so it is really huge,” she said.
To put this into perspective, thousands of students apply for the Gates Scholarship on an annual basis. The scholarship is only awarded to approximately 300 students nationwide. Even with the low odds, Miriam decided to apply based on advice from Madras High’s Future Center Coordinator, Sam Loza.
“Loza told me, you should always apply to any scholarship that you can,” Egoavil said.
Miriam plans to attend Oregon State University next year as an honors student. There, she’ll major in Biology in pursuit of obtaining a Master’s in Biotechnology, with a minor in music. However, she may also decide to double major in music since she’s passionate about the subject.
Long term, Miriam is planning on becoming a biotech. This career field focuses on manipulating living organisms, or their components, to design or enhance vaccines, medicines, energy efficiency or food safety.
"Miriam is one of the hardest working students, athletes, and band members I have ever seen,” Madras High Principal Tony Summers said. “If you look at her coursework over the past four years and take into account all of the extracurricular activities she has participated in, her accomplishments are even more meaningful."
Earlier this school year, Miriam learned she was a recipient of Oregon State’s most prestigious scholarship, the Presidential Scholarship.
As she is gearing up for the next chapter of her life and will soon graduate from Madras High, she is undoubtedly going to miss the community she’s called home and grown up in. She credits her family, community, teachers, and school for getting her to where she is today.
“They’ve helped me grow as a person so much as a musician, athlete, and student,” she said. “I always feel like they always believed in me, and that always has helped me to push and strive forward through challenges and to push myself to achieve.”
Miriam has been incredibly active throughout her time as a high school student. She has participated in different sports like cross country, volleyball, and track & field. She was a key member of the MHS Girl’s Cross Country team that qualified for state in the Fall of 2025. Miriam was also a member of the Track & Field Girls 4x400 relay team that placed 7th at the OSAA State Track and Field Championships. She has been an active member of the band program. She’s played in the symphonic band, solo and ensemble, where she qualified for state, and also played in jazz band. She has been a mainstay at playing and supporting Madras High Athletics as a member of the pep band. Something she hopes to continue doing at OSU.
“Band carries the same passion I have for track and science. Unlike a sport, it's something I'm able to be part of year-round, creating an environment that feels like a second home. Not only have I built meaningful connections, but I have grown alongside others to become better musicians and as a person. Always striving to create music that connects with and inspires others,” she said.
Other clubs she has participated in include: Key & Interact Club, Environmental Club, Youth Advisory Council, Japan Club, Madras Running Club, El Sol, and OSU Juntos.
Actively participating and meeting different teachers and students is one thing that has made her time at Madras High so special.
“Just the community, my teachers, especially my classmates, my bandmates, my teammates and coaches, they all make it so special here,” she said. “They're one of the things that make me come back and just keep doing what I'm doing every day.”
The Gates Scholarship is designed to support outstanding high school seniors from low-income backgrounds. This is a last-dollar scholarship which means it will cover the full cost of attendance at any accredited U.S. University. This scholarship helps students focus on their studies without the financial burden of tuition, books, housing and living expenses.
Miriam will officially graduate as a member of the Class of 2026 from Madras High on the morning of Saturday, June 6 at 10:30.