2019 Morehouse graduate, former HYPE student will give keynote

Moses Washington, a native of Denmark, South Carolina, is a 2019 graduate of Morehouse College and a 2015 graduate of Denmark-Olar High School. At Morehouse College, he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Washington is set to be the keynote speaker at the Youth Summit on July 23 in Columbia at the Zoo.

Yes, Washington is part of the Morehouse College graduating class whose student loans were paid in full by the 2019 Commencement Speaker and Billionaire Robert S. Smith. Did Washington graduate tuition debt free? Yes. Was he a benefactor of Smith’s generosity? Probably not. Read about Washington’s reaction to the gift.

Washington received the Gate Millennium Scholarship, a competitive full-ride scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He was one of 11 recipients in the state of South Carolina and one of 1,000 nationwide to receive the scholarship. In 2018, he was selected as a Sidley Austin, LLP Pre-Law Scholar.

Are you impressed yet? Wait. It gets better.

Washington was an active student at Morehouse College, having served on the Executive Board of the Student Government Association and as a member of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees, where he was on the Student Affairs, Educational Policy, and Development committees. Additionally, Washington served as the President of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program at Morehouse College and as the President of the Morehouse-Spelman Pre-Law Society.

While Washington was busy juggling academic and social life in Atlanta, he still had a calling to help his hometown of Denmark and the surrounding areas in Bamberg County.

Washington has an immense passion for public service, which recently stimulated him to start the Washington Foundation in 2017. The Washington Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the goal of changing the “Corridor of Shame” narrative placed on rural schools amongst the I-95 interstate line of South Carolina. His non-profit has achieved much success within the past years. It has held a Back-to-School Bash in 2017 and 2018, where over 400 school supply bags were given out to students of the Bamberg County area.

Washington plans to attend law school and continue the work of his foundation, in hopes of continuing to be the change in the community. As the keynote speaker at the Youth Summit, teens and adults will learn more about what drives Washington to advocate for healthy change and to inspire those around him to reach for the stars.

Attend the Youth Summit on July 23 in Columbia at the Zoo and meet one of South Carolina’s young leaders. Take advantage of this great opportunity and register today. Registration is only $10 per person, and seating is limited.