Friday, April 19, 2024
The Woman’s Wednesday Club of Granbury (WWC) recently awarded 18 scholarships totaling $50,000 to deserving women of Hood County.
The WWC, which was founded in 1897, strongly believes in higher education and considers a college degree to be a key driver of success. The Lois G. Cleveland Memorial Scholarship Fund was established more than 18 years ago, and presentation of annual college scholarships has become a large part of the club’s legacy.
Because of the success of WWC’s second annual Taste of Granbury on Sept. 30, the club was able to award several scholarships for 2021 — ranging from $2,000 to $3,750.
“WWC is so excited to give 18 scholarships to deserving women in Hood County,” said Sally Timmons, scholarship chairman. “This year we awarded scholarships in four categories. We gave seven Legacy scholarships to women who are juniors and seniors in college. They each received $3,500. We gave two scholarships (Pathways) to high school seniors for the first time this year — they received $2,000 each. For the first time we awarded two graduate (Master Class) scholarships in the amount of $3,750 each. The last category (New Horizon) was for women who had their college careers interrupted and were going back to school to complete their degrees or certifications. We awarded seven scholarships of $2,000 each to this group.”
The scholarship recipients are as follows:
PATHWAYS SCHOLARSHIPS
⦁ Caylin Damron - Texas A&M University
⦁ Kricket Tolbert - Tarleton State University
NEW HORIZON SCHOLARSHIPS
⦁ Chloe Blackman - Weatherford College
⦁ Kelsey Boronda - Weatherford College
⦁ Ellen Brite - Weatherford College
⦁ LeAnn Haines - Weatherford College
⦁ Labrini Howell - Grand Canyon University
⦁ Madison Miller - Weatherford College
⦁ Selli Sanchez - Weatherford College
LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS
⦁ Kelby Been - Sam Houston State University
⦁ Kinsey Brawner - Western Illinois University
⦁ Emily Brite - Texas A&M University
⦁ Juliet Jackson - University of North Texas
⦁ Madeline Koiner - Texas A&M University
⦁ Rayni Skaggs - University of Notre Dame
⦁ Anysa Willmon - Tarleton State University
MASTER CLASS SCHOLARSHIPS
⦁ Jessica Gryder - Stephen F. Austin University
⦁ April Cabrera - Tarleton State University
These scholarship funds will have a significant impact on the lives of the recipients.
Jessica Gryder, 23, is pursuing her master’s degree in graphic design with a focus on photography at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. She previously obtained her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from McMurry University in Abilene. Gryder received $3,750 from the Master Class scholarship and is expected to graduate from Stephen F. Austin University in May 2023.
“It's really exciting and amazing to receive the scholarship, especially since it's the first year that they've had the Master Class scholarship because it helped me before as an undergrad. But especially as a grad student, just that they've been able to continue to help me further my education has been extremely wonderful,” Gryder said.
Madeline Koiner, 19, is a junior majoring in journalism at Texas A&M University. She received $3,500 from the Legacy scholarship. After earning her degree, she plans to obtain a career in either broadcast or investigative journalism.
“I’m very thankful that they’ve granted me this opportunity,” Koiner said.
Madison Miller, 25, is currently attending Weatherford College, pursuing a career as a physical therapy assistant. She received a $2,000 New Horizon scholarship, which is given to full- or part-time students who are returning to college after a pause.
“I decided in my last couple semesters in my senior year that I wanted to pursue physical therapy pretty quickly,” she said. “I was trying to figure out how to get experience and get into programs and I was living in New Orleans at the time. I got a full-time job as a technician and I just kind of spent those couple years getting experience, working towards getting to a program, figuring out what I wanted to do, how I was going to do it financially, and I landed upon Weatherford's program in my hometown and was sent a God-wink moment; it felt like it was meant to be.”
Miller is in her last year in her PTA program at Weatherford College, and she said the Woman’s Wednesday Club scholarship was “a blessing.”
"It was an answered prayer for me,” she said. “I just can't describe how grateful I am to receive it. I didn't really think I was going to get a scholarship, or if I was, I thought that I was going to get a little bit, but to get something that's going to cover basically, my entire semester makes me feel super grateful.”
"None of this would be possible without the outstanding support we received from our community at the Taste of Granbury fundraiser,” Timmons added. “Thank you to all who made it possible to give $50,000 to these outstanding young women.”
