ST. CHARLES, Mo. (KTVI) – A star high school student in Missouri who has received a full-ride scholarship is now using his college savings to help others.

Joshua Nelson, a senior at St. Charles West High School, has gone above and beyond in the classroom, and his commitment to his education and involvement in school programs has been rewarded with a scholarship to Southeast Missouri State University for academic excellence.

“It’s definitely a sigh of relief knowing all the hard work I put in high school actually was recognized and it paid off,” Nelson said.

Through the Presidential Scholarship, Nelson’s tuition and boarding will be fully taken care of as he pursues a degree in medical science with an emphasis in optometry. He was one of five students out of 288 applicants to receive the scholarship – one of the university’s most prestigious.

Nelson has been working and saving money for college since he was 15 years old. Instead of spending that money on himself, Nelson is now using his savings to start a scholarship program of his own.

The Joshua Nelson Leaders in Action Scholarship will be awarded to a St. Charles West graduate with at least a 3.5 GPA to continue their education. In addition, the recipient of the scholarship must be a member of the school’s Minority Achievement Committee (MAC), a scholars program Nelson helped create with his counselor, Yolanda Curry. He also served as its first president.

After contributing $1,000 of his own money, the community has stepped up to help raise funds as well. The first recipient of the scholarship has been selected for the year and will be announced on June 1.