Four Fort Leonard Wood campus students receive scholarships

Columbia College-Fort Leonard Wood

Dec. 18, 2013

Columbia College-Fort Leonard Wood has announced the recipients its campus scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year. Each year Columbia College-Fort Leonard Wood awards the following three scholarships: the Joshua Richards Honor Scholarship, the Master Sgt. Evander Andrews Memorial Scholarship and the Class of 1977 Scholarship.

The Joshua Richards Honor Scholarship is an Honors Award Scholarship designed to exemplify the best qualities of adult higher education. Joshua Richards, an Honors student, was killed in an automobile accident June 27, 1998. Both of his parents are Honors graduates of the Columbia College-Fort Leonard Wood Campus. This scholarship assists students in continuing the Richards' family tradition of pursuing academic excellence.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at the Fort Leonard Wood campus, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2, and have been enrolled in at least two of the three prior sessions. Applicants also are required to submit a 300-500-word essay explaining why they appropriately reflect the Richards' family tradition of pursuing academic excellence and also explain their quality of community involvement. Recipients each receive a one-time $1,000 award to be used for tuition and books at Columbia College. Congratulations to this year’s Joshua Richards Honor Scholarship recipients: Jamie Lynne Olvera and Tamarcus Norman.

The Master Sgt. Evander Andrews Memorial Scholarship is designed to provide support for children of combat veterans. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Evander Andrews was the first service member to die in Operation Enduring Freedom on Oct. 10, 2001. He was recognized for his outstanding leadership and awarded the Meritorious Service Medal posthumously. On Oct. 22, 2001, when he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, his son, at the age of nine, stated “Yep, he is a hero.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at the Fort Leonard Wood campus, must be a child of a combat veteran as defined by Veterans Affairs, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants also are required to submit a 300-500-word essay explaining why they believe their parent is a hero. Recipients receive a one-time $500 award to be used for tuition and books at Columbia College. Congratulations to this year’s Master Sgt. Evander Andrews Memorial Scholarship recipient: Rebekah Gray.

The Class of 1977 Fort Leonard Wood Scholarship is an Honors Award Scholarship designed to exemplify the best qualities of adult higher education. The scholarship’s objective is to honor the academic excellence achieved by the applicant. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be enrolled at the Fort Leonard Wood campus and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Applicants also are required to submit a 300-500-word essay explaining why education is important to them. Recipients receive a one-time $500 award to be used for tuition and books at Columbia College. Congratulations to this year’s Class of 1977 Scholarship recipient: Judith Wyatt.

The recipients will be awarded their scholarships to assist in their costs for the upcoming January Session and will be awarded their scholarship certificate at the Columbia College-Fort Leonard Wood Campus Honors Banquet in May.

Congratulations, again, to Jamie Lynn Olvera, Tamarcus Norman, Rebekah Gray and Judith Wyatt!