At the recent meeting of the JAG Board of Directors in Carson City, Nevada, the Governance and Scholars Committee reported that 104 scholarship applications were submitted by JAG students from eighteen (18) states. Applicants submitted the required documentation for the Board committees to select the 2013 Smith Scholars which included: 1-page application; official high school transcript; three (3) letters of recommendation; and two-page essay by the applicant. This year’s two-page essays were outstanding and had a significant impact on the committees.
The overall quality of the applications was impressive. The following statistics demonstrate the overall quality of the 2013 applicants:
- Range of grade point averages—4.0 to 1.62
- Fourteen (14) applicants had a 4.0 GPA
- Overall grade point average: 3.28
- Sixty-eight percent (68%) of applicants have already been notified of college acceptance
- Sixty-two percent (62%) of applicants plan on attending 4-year colleges/universities; twenty-two percent (22%) will attend 2-year colleges; four percent (4%) will attend for profit institutions; and, twelve percent (12%) are undecided
- Twenty-seven percent (27%) are pursuing a healthcare career; eight percent (8%) are pursuing an education career; seven percent (7%) are pursuing a business career; seven percent (7%) are undecided; and fifty-nine percent (59%) are pursuing a wide range of careers.
JAG screeners selected semi-finalists for consideration by the Scholars Committee which, in turn, selected finalists for consideration by the Governance Committee.
The Western Union Foundation awarded a grant to JAG in the amount of $75,000 of which $25,000 was to be used for scholarships. We celebrated, then, decided to award ten (10) $2,000 scholarships and five (5) $1,000 scholarships. The goal is to continue awarding $25,000 in scholarships annually. With the help of the Western Union Foundation and members of the JAG Board of Directors, the Scholarship Fund will continue to award $25,000 in scholarships annually.
The Governance and Scholars Committees are proud to announce the 2013 Smith Scholars awarded $2,000 scholarships:
|
Smith Scholars |
School |
State |
GPA |
College/University |
Career Field |
|
Kirstyn Arko-Christman |
Creek Wood HS |
MT
|
3.35 |
Austin Peay State University |
Nurse Practitioner
|
|
Alexis Browning |
McCormick HS |
SC
|
3.4 |
University of South Carolina |
Sociology |
|
Corey Buckley |
Paris Gibson Education Center |
MT
|
2.5 |
Montana State University-Northern |
Diesel Technology
|
|
Dit Dit |
Des Moines North HS |
IA |
2.77 |
Des Moines Area Community College |
EMT-Paramedic |
|
Da’Meisha L. Fleming |
Anderson HS |
IN |
3.57 |
Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis |
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner |
|
Chazney Gates |
Northwest HS |
IN |
4.0 |
Ball State University |
Director-Screenwriter |
|
Natasha Lewis |
Port Gibson HS |
MS |
3.9 |
University of Mississippi |
Clinical Pharmacist
|
|
Clifford Gabriel O’Connor |
Wagner Community HS |
SD |
2.55 |
University of South Dakota |
Earth Science and Spanish |
|
Keymo Walker |
Calhoun County HS |
SC |
4.0 |
Winthrop University |
Social Worker for Domestic Violence |
|
Alexander Zane Zephier III |
Wagner Community HS |
SD |
2.91 |
University of South Dakota |
Criminal Justice & Political Science |
The 2013 Smith Scholars awarded $1,000 scholarships include:
|
Smith Scholars |
Schoois |
State |
GPA |
College/University |
Career Field |
|
Orleana Bland– 2012 Scholar |
Delaware State University |
DE |
3.8 |
Delaware State University |
Accountant |
|
Marlene Borjas |
Perry HS |
IA |
2.65 |
Marshalltown Community College |
Early Childhood Ed Pre-School Teacher |
|
David Lee King, Jr. |
Westside Leadership Academy |
IN |
3.5 |
Indiana University-Pursue University, Indianapolis |
Political Science & Education—Lawyer & Public Service |
|
Karlee Simac
|
Helena HS |
MT |
2.6 |
Helena College |
Registered Nurse |
|
Savannah Taylor |
Lafayette Jefferson HS |
IN |
3.5 |
Purdue University |
Elementary Teacher |
Donor Commitment. A special thanks to those that donate to the Scholarship Fund on a regular basis as well as those who want to help JAG graduates overcome their challenging backgrounds and pursue their dream to be a collegiate graduate to help achieve their career goals.
Notification and Distribution of Awards. Smith Scholars will be contacted to notify them of their being a 2013 Smith Scholar and how the scholarship award will be available to them.
2012 Smith Scholars Report. Board members who have invested annually in the Scholarship Fund were pleased to learn that eleven (11) of the twelve (12) Smith Scholars completed their first year of college and plan on continuing their collegiate education in 2013-2014. A ninety-two percent (92%) retention rate is encouraging and impressive (although we are hoping to work with our lone dropout and reconnect him with a postsecondary institution). States have committed to assist our committees by providing periodic status updates for us to know if the selection process is working and if there is anything we can do to encourage the Smith Scholars to persist in their pursuit of a postsecondary education degree or industry-recognized credential.
Report presented by:
James Duffy
Chairman
Governance Committee
Kenneth M. Smith Scholarship Fund
JAG Board of Directors