DALLAS, TEXAS – April 17, 2015 – After serving as an integral part of the organization for 23 years, the State Fair of Texas Youth Scholarship Program continues to uphold the Fair’s mission by supporting agriculture, education and community involvement. The State Fair is delighted to carry on the tradition again this year and will be awarding college scholarships to 150 graduating seniors, with 55 Pete Schenkel Scholarship recipients and 95 Youth Livestock Scholarship recipients. The Fair will be renewing approximately 197 scholarships for past recipients who are currently attending a state college or university. In addition, the State Fair is thrilled to announce that its board of directors has voted to increase the scholarship amount from $5,000 per student over four years to $6,000 per student over four years. This increase will apply not only to new recipients, but will also be given to previous recipients who are currently in school and have met the requirements for scholarship renewal.
A total of 55 graduating seniors will be receiving the State Fair of Texas Pete Schenkel Scholarship, including: BreAnna Aikins, Jocelyne Andrade, Lauren Camarillo, Aislinn Diaz, Brenda Duran, Tania Garcia, Marizabel Garza, Cassandra Gonzalez Alarcon, Sonia Gonzalez, Pamela Hernandez Chavez, Stephanie Hernandez, Karla Herrera Gutierrez, Cynthia Martinez, Laura Martinez, Emma Maxwell, Sarahia Oviedo, Rubi Perez, Yasmin Renteria and Abigail Rivera, of Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School; Jacqueline Fields, Marquise Gates, Tichina Jones, Kevin Soto, Cierra Thomas, Alexis White and Taylor Wright, of James Madison High School; DeMarcus Johnson, Kasim Kabbara, Rakeshia Wines and Tafari Witter, of Lincoln High School; Taylor Bolden, Guadalupe Florencio, Daisy Hernandez, Kerinne Mendoza, Brian Monroy, Shayla Myers, Yolanda Nguyen, Brooke Peek, Jesus Ramirez, Jennifer Rodriguez and Raviola Wenno, of North Dallas High School; Madison Aza, Chloe Carroll, Erin Choi, Nia Delmast, Grant Garcia, Andrew Henery, Caroline Jordan, Cameron Kurzner, Taylor Murray, Meaghan O’Connor, Shelby Patterson, Leslie Scherger, Sandra Vazquez and Zane Wittrock, of Woodrow Wilson High School.
With representation from 82 cities across Texas, a total of 95 students are being awarded the State Fair of Texas Youth Livestock Scholarship, including: Victoria Abner of Howe, Kathrine Adams of Hedley, Kaitlyn Alba of Dripping Springs, Emily Alford of Caldwell, Audrey Anderson of El Campo, Hadley Baker of Lott, Hayley Bates of Leakey, Kolton Beeler of Henrietta, Mintie Betts of Flint, Brooke Blum of Howe, Gary Bostick of Brownwood, Brice Boyd of Hamilton, Shelby Bradshaw of Decatur, Caroline Brennan of Sweetwater, Robert Carroll of Corsicana, Walker Carson of Turkey, Brooke Chilcutt of Weatherford, Patrick Clay of San Antonio, Mattie Cochran of Christoval, Darbie Cooper of Conroe, Micah Davidson of Valley View, Tyler Davidson of Mertzon, John Derry of Medina, Madison DeWinne of Helotes, Hailey Drerup of Midlothian, Ashton Dunkel of Archer City, Dillon Elder of Blum, Landon Eldridge of Snook, Rachel Evenson of Stephenville, Zachary Finch of Quitman, Alexandria Foster of Maud, Jimmie Gee of Springtown, Rachel Gibbs of Ballinger, Haven Giglotti of Cedar Hill, John-Michael Grunseich of Bellevue, Holly Halfmann of Garden City, Christen Harris of Midlothian, Kaitlin Harris of Orange Grove, Hadley Hatler of Winters, Dakota Heathcock of Terrell, Cala Holder of Bridgeport, Rachel Hood of Hearne, Devon Jackson of Celeste, Benjamin Johnson of Houston, Kalyn Johnson of Flint, Garrett Kale of Hico, Kaylynn Kiker of Allison, Kathryn Klumb of Jourdanton, Paige Kosub of Saint Hedwig, Tamra Kott of Junction, Pierce Lancaster of Bowie, Madeline Little of Hillsboro, Elaine Lochte of Fredericksburg, Lakyn Lucio of Lamesa, Jarrett Mackie of Lott, Joseph Macon of Ennis, Wyatt Maher of Sadler, Meredith Masi of Pflugerville, Cody May of Crowley, Thackary Mayer of Burlington, Jena McCall of Emory, Jake McMillan of Shallowater, Tyler Monroe of Caldwell, Joshua Muehlstein of Kerrville, Mykayla Mullins of Conroe, Amanda Nash of Georgetown, Amber Patricio of Austin, Cameron Price of Dublin, Kyle Ramsey of Navasota, Grant Read of Temple, Haley Rector of Decatur, William Robert of Riesel, Kalinn Rohre of Whitewright, Brittany Sanders of Harper, Brylie Schaeffer of Garden City, Sterling Scott of Wolfforth, Rebecca Seigman of Smyer, Colton Shackelford of Gunter, Marilyn Standlee of Silverton, Sevanna Stewart of San Antonio, Amy Stoemer of Marion, Emily Stovall of Corsicana, Hillary Swor of Diboll, Danielle Thompson of Grandview, Ross Thorn of Arp, Braden Tondre of LaCoste, Kasie Vestal of Fredericksburg, William Vinson of Hico, Rebekah Wagner of Poteet, Huntor Watson of Ralls, Ty Wilson of Nacogdoches, Alec Winfrey of Seminole, William Wolf of Windthorst, Samantha Woods of Cameron and Cheyenne Zaiontz of San Antonio.
The State Fair of Texas Scholarship Program was established in 1992. Each year, to honor its past Chairman Pete Schenkel, the State Fair of Texas awards multiple college scholarships to selected applicants from five Dallas Independent School District high schools surrounding the Fair Park area – Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, James Madison, Lincoln, North Dallas and Woodrow Wilson High Schools. In addition, the State Fair awards scholarships to selected applicants who have participated in State Fair of Texas Youth Livestock competitive events and are enrolling in an agricultural-related or agricultural-benefiting natural science curriculum.
Scholastic performance is important, with preference given to students ranking in the top 25% of their class. All scholarships require that the student attends an accredited college or university within the state of Texas and exhibits high scholastic achievement by maintaining a cumulative 3.0 or better grade point average in order to be renewed. Scholarships are paid over four years, with the payment going directly to the college or university on the student’s behalf.
Over its 23 year history, this program has received and reviewed more than 4,000 applications and has provided scholarships to more than 1,600 students for a total of more than $4.5 million dollars, including this year’s applicants.
The Fair congratulates these deserving students on their accomplishments and is happy to support them in reaching for and achieving their dreams. The State Fair of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and does not receive any government funding or support. Its nonprofit purpose is funded through the proceeds from the annual State Fair of Texas event. The net proceeds from the Fair are reinvested in Fair Park, in the form of capital improvements; given as scholarships to deserving youth throughout the state of Texas; used to support the Fair Park museum facilities and community outreach programs; and used to improve the State Fair’s operation. Help support the Fair’s mission of celebrating all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment by attending this year’s exposition. The gates open for the 2015 State Fair of Texas starting September 25th through October 18th, with the theme “Passport to Texas.”
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About the State Fair of Texas
Since its inception in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has celebrated all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment. The State Fair of Texas is a nonprofit organization with all proceeds helping to preserve and improve Fair Park and underwrite museum, community and scholarship programs for inner city youth and students pursuing agricultural careers. The 2015 exposition runs September 25 through October 18 in Fair Park. Visit BigTex.com for more information.