Jill Biden helps award college scholarships to Dallas ISD students

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The former second lady of the United States brought her passion for education to Adamson High School in Oak Cliff on Wednesday.

About 150 seniors at Adamson received free tuition to any Dallas County Community College, part of the 2018 College Promise Campaign. To earn the money, the seniors had to fulfill specific academic requirements and meet application deadlines.

"You are not just the future of your family or of this city. You are the future of America,” Biden said.

Biden is honorary national chair of the campaign. She's also a full-time junior college professor, just as she was during her eight years as second lady.

"A student came into my room, one of my students, and said, ‘Dr. B’ and I said, ‘Yeah.’ She said, ‘Last night I saw you on television with Michelle Obama,’” Biden said to laughter.

Andrew Mendoza and Jireh Triana got special recognition. SMU will cover the cost of tuition for their remaining two years of study after they graduate junior college. That’s about $140,000 worth of scholarships for each of them.

“It’s crazy, such a surreal feeling,” Mendoza said, who wants to pursue a career in human resources management.

Triana said she wants to study law.

“I know SMU has a really good law program and yeah, I'll do great,” Triana said.

The Adamson students were among the first group of students nationwide to receive their scholarships.