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REXBURG, Idaho-
Writer: Amanda Pavlovsky
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Brigham Young University-Idaho will award a $500 scholarship to
its students from the southern half of Alabama, Mississippi and
Louisiana, who have been affected by the disaster of Hurricane
Katrina.
“We know if their home is destroyed, $500 won’t do much, but it
will help students know people care and want to help. It’s a
boost for them psychologically,” Aaron Sanns, Assistant
Director, Admissions and Scholarships, said.
Sanns said the scholarship committee unanimously agreed to the
idea of presenting the scholarship to students. “Everyone was
excited to do something to help,” he said.
This scholarship is for current, full-time BYU-Idaho students
who have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Scholarships will also be held
for students who return to school during the winter semester.
Tina Dean, a freshman from Bossier City, LA, was shocked to hear
about the scholarship. “It is amazing and very generous of
BYU-Idaho to give everyone from those areas a scholarship,” Dean
said. “People are grouping together to really help out.”
Bossier City is about seven hours north of New Orleans, so
Dean’s family is mainly dealing with refugees. Dean has visited
New Orleans several times and “the area looks so unrecognizable
on the news,” she said.
Another student to receive a scholarship was Jason Stancliffe
from New Orleans, LA. “It was nice to see that BYU-Idaho cared,”
he said.
Stancliffe’s family was able to evacuate New Orleans safely and
is now in Pleasant Grove, UT staying with family there. “It’s
comforting to know that my family is safe and we’ll wait to see
what’s next,” he said.
So far 35 scholarships have been awarded, but research is still
being conducted to find those students originally from the South
who may have a different state on records due to marriage.
“We’re trying to find all those students connected with the
disaster,” Sanns said. |
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| Style guide
note: When reporting about Brigham Young University-Idaho,
please use the complete name of the university in the first
reference. |
Brigham Young University-Idaho, formerly Ricks College, is a four-year
private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. The university, which is
affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers
both baccalaureate and associate degrees; integrated degrees and
internships that are tailored to fit students' interests; a year-round
track system allowing more students to attend; and an extensive
activities program that provides leadership and growth experiences. It
is the largest private university in Idaho, with over 11,000 students
enrolled for winter 2005.
Media Relations
Bryce J Rydalch
Kimball 226,
Rexburg, ID 83460
(208) 496-2108 rydalchb@byui.edu |