The Dallas Independent School District’s Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy (BOMLA), in partnership with the Friends of BOMLA, is set to celebrate the achievements of the 39 seniors in the Class of 2024. These students have collectively earned over $9.6 million in scholarships and grants and secured college admissions.
A special Senior Signing Day will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 17, at BOMLA, located at 3030 Stag Rd. The event will be followed by a luncheon at noon, featuring keynote speaker Arun Agarwal, CEO of Nextt.
During the ceremony, the names of the 39 graduates and the colleges they will attend will be announced. Several students have received multiple offers from prestigious institutions. BOMLA upholds a tradition of 100% graduation and college acceptance rates, with many students admitted to the nation's top 100 schools.
This year’s Valedictorian, originally from Malaysia and the first in his family to attend college, has interned at a local clinic and aspires to a medical career. The Salutatorian, a long-time student at BOMLA, plans to pursue engineering. He is also a trombone player, member of 100 Black Men, and a regular volunteer at a nursing home.
“Every year, we have an outstanding group of graduates who defy the high expectations their families and the school have of them,” said Justin Parscale, chair of the Friends of BOMLA. “We are humbled and pleased to have contributed to their success and are proud to congratulate them as they embark on a new journey.”
Founded in 2011, BOMLA is the first single-gender male magnet school in Dallas ISD and North Texas. It has a student body of over 500 students in grades 6-12 and emphasizes leadership development through accelerated math and science courses in a technology-rich setting. Since its first graduating class in 2015, BOMLA students have earned a combined $50 million in scholarships.
The Friends of BOMLA is a 501c3 organization established to close the opportunity gap for BOMLA students. The organization supports college readiness through its College Bound Program, providing classes, special events, college fairs, guest speakers, and test preparation courses. Other funding priorities include student enrichment, teacher professional development, and maintaining cutting-edge equipment for improved learning outcomes.
“What we strive to do is support the dream of a college education for each of these students,” Parscale said. “The Friends of BOMLA ensures that every graduating student has access to college and scholarship applications.”
The organization is committed to diversity, equity, fairness, inclusion, and justice in its policies and programs to help develop the next generation of community leaders, change agents, and role models.
