Derrick Rose has started a scholarship fund.
The 29-year-old former MVP announced Wednesday he was launching “The Rose Scholars,” which will award over $400,000 in tuition money, according to ESPN. The program is open to high school sophomore, junior and senior students who are civically minded and have an instinct to lead, the announcement says.
Rose discussed his decision to start the fund in a letter on his website:
As I started to reflect on my service to others, the idea of The Rose Scholars program started to form. An award that would reflect on my desire to find greatness, my dedication to perseverance (and) determination, my passion for self-empowerment, and my wish to elevate it in promising individuals.
I know we can all identify a moment where our lives changed (when) a new path opened up to us that was not previously available. This new path allowed us to make different decisions and start to imagine new possibilities. This is exactly what the Rose Scholars program is meant to achieve in each and every one of you that applies.
I feel that I have a personal responsibility to help you be better, achieve more and dream bigger. So, thank you.
Rose, who is currently a member of the Timberwolves, spent the first eight seasons of his career with his hometown Bulls. He has also played for the Knicks and Cavaliers during his 10-year NBA career.
