Six Casey County High School graduates received scholarships to Western Kentucky University from the Owenelle Gift Fund for the 2022-2023 academic year. Recipients include Dylan Carman, Mackenzie Cundiff, Anna Howard, Adam Price, Emily Smith and Miracle Stinson.
Mackenzie Cundiff, a junior from Dunnville, Ky., who is pursuing a degree in Biology and Dental Hygiene, said that receiving the Owenelle scholarship gave her courage to make her dreams a reality when she was struggling to invest in herself.
“The Owenelle scholarship has allowed me to put my education first rather than the worry of finances,” Cundiff said. “It has allowed me to be a better student and provided me with the resources I need to succeed.”
Dylan Carman, a sophomore from Bethelridge, Ky., who is pursuing a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, hopes to return to Casey County and one day open his own business.
“I’m truly grateful for this scholarship, and I am thankful for the donors who made this possible,” Carman said.
The Owenelle Gift Fund was established in 2016, and the first scholarships were awarded in 2018. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be graduates of Casey County High School and be enrolled as full-time students at WKU with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The award for individual students can be up to $10,000 for each school year and is determined by the number of applicants and student financial need. The scholarship is renewable, provided students continue to meet the requirements.
The donors who established the Owenelle Gift Fund grew up in Casey County and attended Casey County High School and WKU. Growing up in Casey County instilled the values of hard work, integrity, perseverance and an appreciation for simple joys. Their teachers at Casey County High School inpsired continued learning and exploration of the bigger world. After graduating from WKU, their careers took them beyond Kentucky and outside the United States. Culturally enriching experiences exposed them to different ideas and reinforced their belief that mankind is good.
“Receiving this scholarship means more to me than I could put into words,” said Adam Price, a junior from Liberty, Ky., who is studying Health Care Administration. “The scholarship has made me realize how relieving financial stress can help motivate and drive individuals to push harder toward their goals. I hope that one day I will be able to provide people in need with a similar feeling and help motivate them.”
Price plans to return to Liberty and serve his community as a Health Care Administrator.
“My mom, uncle and older brother are WKU alumni and are successful,” Price said. “I hope to one day follow in their footsteps and make a difference in my community.”
The Owenelle Gift Fund was established to help young people continue their education even though they might not have the resources to do so by themselves. The donors only ask the recipients to reflect on the generosity of this gift, study and work hard, be open minded, respect others, challenge the status quo and when the opportunity presents itself, pay it forward to help others.
The recipients are already thinking about how they can give back.
“When I become an alumna, I want to give back to my alma mater and be involved in the success of students like many have been for me,” Cundiff said. “The University has instilled confidence in me and saw potential in me that I never did. I cannot wait to be able to do that for others.”
Miracle Stinson, a freshman from Liberty, Ky., is pursuing a degree in Accounting and hopes to be an Accountant. She said receiving scholarship support eased her worries about how to pay for college, and now she can focus on her studies.
“Scholarships have shaped my thoughts of ‘I’m doing this for me’ to now believing that I am not only going to college and giving it my all for me but for all those who made it possible for me to be here and have the opportunity for a better life,” Stinson said.
Emily Smith, a junior from Columbia, Ky., is pursuing a degree in Criminology and Sociology with a minor in History.
“This scholarship allowed me to continue my education at WKU and experience college in a supportive environment,” Smith said. “It made me realize it is important to give back to education for future generations.”
“The College Heights Foundation is proud to administer the Owenelle Gift Fund and provide scholarship support for students from Casey County High School,” said Dr. Donald Smith, President of the College Heights Foundation at WKU. “We want to make sure students from Casey County High School know this opportunity is available and encourage more students to further their education at WKU.
“We also want to thank the donors for this generous support to benefit young people from their community,” Smith added. “WKU alumni giving back to benefit current and future Hilltoppers continues a tradition that started more than 100 years ago, and that speaks to the strength of the WKU Spirit. This University continues to be a place of access and opportunity.”
The application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year is Feb. 1, 2023. Visit wku.edu/topdollar for scholarship opportunities.
For more information, contact Jessica Carver at (270) 745-2342.