Joseph
Graduate
Dayton resident Joseph W. has been named a 2026 Gates Scholar by the Gates Foundation, earning a highly competitive, last-dollar scholarship that covers the full cost of a four-year college degree. Selected from thousands of applicants nationwide, Joseph joins a cohort of student leaders recognized for their academic achievement and commitment to making an impact in their fields. For the past three years, he has attended Ohio Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school serving students statewide, where he credits the flexible, rigorous learning environment with strengthening his independence and challenging him academically.
Joseph has long been focused on a future in business, an interest that began in middle school with his goal of one day becoming a Major League Baseball general manager. At Ohio Connections Academy, he completed the Business & Administrative Services Pathway, gaining exposure to marketing, operations, human resources, and communication, and fulfilling 250 hours of workplace-based learning. That experience included a role with the Dayton Dragons minor league baseball team, where he observed day-to-day operations and applied classroom concepts in a professional setting. This fall, Joseph will attend Miami University, where he plans to major in business analytics and minor in sports analytics, building on the academic and career foundation he developed in high school.
