CLARK COUNTY — Precious Bibbs, a local high school senior, has overcome struggles to earn approximately $83,000 in scholarships and gain acceptance to several top universities.
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Bibbs, who maintains a 4.2 GPA, will graduate from the Global Impact STEM Academy this spring with honors and an associate degree.
Her academic success follows years of navigating personal challenges.
She has received acceptance letters from Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati and Johns Hopkins University as she prepares for a career in biomedical engineering.
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Mauren Reed, the mother of Bibbs, said her daughter has always been self-sufficient with her schoolwork.
Reed described her youngest of five children as naturally gifted and dedicated to her studies.
“I’m just, I’m lost for words,” Reed said. “I just don’t know where her brain just I magically was pregnant with a brainy child. Like you had the parents to help with homework. She kind of knew how to do everything on her own.”
Bibbs used her personal history with housing instability to apply for financial aid.
One specific scholarship application focused on her experience with homelessness, which she turned into an opportunity for her future.
“It was really personal for me, and I just submitted and ended up winning that scholarship,” Bibbs said.
When discussing her total financial awards, she estimated the amount is “around $83,000.”
A significant portion of her funding came from a Future Farmers of America project where she developed chocolate from soybeans.
The project gained national recognition and secured her a scholarship to Ohio State University.
“Ohio is really big on soybeans,” Bibbs said. “They can go in so many different things. I ended up going nationally with it and that’s how I got my OSU scholarship.”
Looking beyond high school, Bibbs plans to enter the medical field through a combination of higher education and service.
“I’m going to pursue that and get my bachelor’s degree in two more years and then I’ll join the military for a medical background,” Bibbs said.
She cited the “determination and the courage it takes to be in the military” as a primary motivation for her career path.
Bibbs will graduate from high school in May. She is expected to select which university she will attend within the next month.
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