BLN/Hon. Les Miller Jr. and Hon. Gwen Miller Scholarship
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Lesley “Les” Miller, Jr. and Gwendolyn “Gwen” Miller are both natives of Tampa. Both attended the Hillsborough County Public Schools, and graduated from the historically Middleton High School.
Gwen Miller attended Florida A&M University and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was employed by the Hillsborough County Public School System for 37 years.
Gwen was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 5 in 1995 and served in that position for 8 years. In 2003, she was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 1 City-Wide seat becoming the first Black person to be elected to a City-Wide Council seat. She served in the position for 8 years. Gwen served as Chair of the Council for 4 years, becoming the first Black person ever to serve in the position.
Les Miller attended the University of South Florida and earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Humane Letters from Florida A&M University.
Les was elected to the Tampa City Council, District 5 in October 1991, but served for 56 days. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1992 and served in that position for 8 years. From 1998-2000, he served as the Democratic Leader becoming the first Black person to serve in the position. In 2000, he was elected to the Florida Senate and served in the position for 6 years. From 2004-2006, he served as the Democratic Leader, becoming the first Black person to serve in the position. He is the first person in the history of Florida to serve as Democratic Leader in both the House and Senate. In 2010, he was elected to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Les and Gwen have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.
Scholarship Criteria
Full-time undergraduate students, pursuing an Education major, in the College of Education, on the Tampa campus. This scholarship is renewable up to 8 semesters. Preference for students engaged in the Black Leadership Network that supports African Americans and African American initiatives throughout the USF System and in our community.
Requires personal statement and student resume.
![Rhea F. Law, USF President Rhea F. Law, USF President](https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-BnLqjSH/0/b701d315/O/i-BnLqjSH.jpg)
Rhea F. Law, USF President
The growth and success of Tampa Bay is intrinsically linked with the growth and success of USF. There is so much potential, and the future is very bright.
Your Impact
![USF: Global Reach](https://photos.smugmug.com/Giving/Carousel/Home-Page/i-sZb9Ssj/0/9f477bab/O/Carousel%20Flag.jpg)
USF is home to approximately 50,000 students from 146 countries!
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U.S. News and World Report ranked USF Tampa as a Best College for Veterans (2023)
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USF is a member of the Association of American Universities, the most prestigious association in higher education.
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USF professors and students were awarded 314 patents over three years.
![USF: A Leading University](https://photos.smugmug.com/Giving/n-LghR8t/Home-Page/i-qFGRnXK/0/86758cbe/O/Top%2050.jpg)
U.S. News & World Report ranks USF #45 among public universities (2023).
![USF: A New Generation](https://photos.smugmug.com/Giving/Carousel/Home-Page/i-bZPdG5q/0/4b1efb49/O/FirstGen.jpg)
25% of USF students are first generation. Your support enables them to create a new cycle of education within their families.
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U.S. News & World Report ranks USF as the “best value” among all public universities in Florida (2023).
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You can find approximately 400,000 USF graduates worldwide.
![USF: Faculty Fulbright Scholars](https://photos.smugmug.com/Giving/Carousel/Home-Page/i-BJgPzjP/0/0a5bc005/O/FulScholarMonday.jpg)
USF leads the nation as the top producer of faculty Fulbright Scholars! Way to go Bulls!