Isaiah Weeks, a senior at Johnson Senior High School (JHS) in St. Paul was invited to the school auditorium on a Friday afternoon August 29. “I had no idea why Principal [Jamil] Payton invited us,” he said later, but he knew something was up.
On the final day of professional development before the official start of the 2025-26 school year, Weeks and his family entered an auditorium filled with JHS staff, increasing the 12th grader’s concern. “When I saw my teachers, I didn’t know what to think,” he said. “I didn’t know what was going on.”
Moments later Weeks found out. With new Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacey Stanley also in attendance, he was surprised with a $40,000 scholarship from the College Board and BigFuture. Payton presented him with a novelty check.
Weeks and his family were invited to Johnson on a day without students present, and staff was able to watch the presentation unfold live. “I was very surprised,” Weeks said. “It definitely caught me by surprise.”
Weeks earned the financial award by completing planning actions on BigFuture, a free online platform sponsored by the College Board. By completing at least one of the key steps, Weeks, who plans to major in cyber security at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, earned a chance to win the $40,000 scholarship, currently awarded monthly to high school students in the class of 2026 and 2027.
Week’s moment was just the beginning of a memorable day at Johnson High School. Later that evening the football team won its first game of the season, defeating St. Agnes 57-30.
It was quite the day for Weeks, his family, Johnson High School staff and the community.