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Past GFGSF Scholarship Recipients |
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Derek Hubbard
Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
I am majoring in Corporate Communications and Public Relations with a minor in Spanish at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
This upcoming summer, I have plans to study abroad with SMU-in-London.
There I will take courses that are in accordance with my major.
I am excited for the experience to broaden my cultural experiences and learn more. At SMU, I am a Hunt Scholar. I am a member and a founding father of the Gamma Omega Colony of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. I currently serve as the Pledge Educator, and it is my job to educate new members or pledges in the lore of the fraternity.
This year, I am a Hilltop Ambassador. As a Hilltop Ambassador, I serve as a liason between perspective students and our admissions staff. I keep a weekly blog, I give weekly tours, and I also assist our admission counselors with student panels as well as events such as Mustang Days and Mustang Mondays. This opportunity has been very positive for me because I get to interact with students and families everyday. I am able to share my love for SMU with them in hopes they will join us at our institution.
Next, I am a member of Student Foundation (SF). SF is the organization that is responsible for putting on events such as Homecoming, Family Weekend, Celebration of Lights, Mane Event, and the Tate Lecture Series. This year, I served as the Candidates Coordinator on the Homecoming Committee. I was responsible for all of our king and queen candidates. Also with SF, I was nominated and selected to be a Student Ambassador. As a student ambassador it is my job to represent the student body at events with our Board of Trustees. I was fortunate enough to be heavily involved with President George Bush's announcement about the vision for his presidential center a few weeks back. The event was held on our campus. I have had the pleasure of meeting President Bush and Mrs. Bush several times on campus. Most recently with SF, I was selected to be on the SF Board as Ambassadors Chair. Beginning next semester, I will be responsible for all Student Ambassadors.
Last semester I was elected to be a Dedman I Senator. I have served in that capacity all year. My constituents make up the largest population of students on campus. In the senate, I am a member of the scholarship committee, and we oversee the scholarship funds available for students. Finally, I was nominated to sit on the rules tribunal. My time in senate has been rewarding because I am able to have a positive impact on the university that I love so much.
I am so blessed to be at an institution that has helped to shape and mold me into the type of young man that I am today. I thank God daily for the opportunity to stretch my mind and to be a positive influence on the lives of other people. It is my sincerest wish to give back more to SMU than it has given me. I extend my deepest gratitude to you all for your continued prayer and support. It is greatly appreciated and needed. It has been said that "it takes a village to raise a child." I am who I am today because I had a strong village helping to raise me. My parents have been my biggest inspiration, and they continue to push me to achieve more and reach greater heights. I know that with the help of God, my family, and you all, that there is no way I will not be successful. Once again, I say thank you for all that you do.
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Tia Murphy
2007-2008 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
Tia Murphy , the 2007-2008 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation scholarship award recipient is a Sophomore at Texarkana College and also has a full time job working at Christus St. Michael Hospital.
"I am very excited about starting school again and getting one step closer to my goals. I really appreciate the support that this foundation has given me and I h ope that I have met the standards that this foundation is looking for. I really am thankful for everything that this foundation has done.
Tia Murphy
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Antoinette Runnels
2006-2007 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
Antoinette Runnels, the 2006-2007 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation scholarship award recipient is a Freshman at The University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas where she is majoring in nursing. She shares her college experiences and the goals she has established.
I am very pleased and humbled to be a Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar. I was aware that there was a scholarship named for a very outstanding woman from Hooks, Texas, Mrs. Grace Fort Gouldsby. While I did not have the privilege of having been her student, I believe I receive the benefit of her good teachings because of the many lives she touched, including my dad.
I am enjoying my experiences at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). I find my course work interesting and challenging and the professors quite engaging. I have had the opportunity to make many new acquaintances and spend time on one my favorite pass times, sports. I participate in intramural sports which afford me a break from studying and a chance to become involved with campus life.
I look forward to learning more about career opportunities in my chosen field of nursing. My background has prepared me for the challenges. As I stated to the Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation, “ …with my patience, determination, and dedication, goals can be achieved.” I hope to make my family proud. I plan to continue the path of service to others and utilize my leadership skills to assist in worthwhile endeavors for persons of all age groups and circumstances. I would also like to thank the Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation for the financial assistance and support. I hope to help others as I have been helped.
Best Wishes,
Antoinette Runnels
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Haley Kyles
2005-2006 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
Haley Kyles, the 2005-2006 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar recipient is a Junior at The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where she is majoring in business. She shares her college experiences and the goals she has established.
To begin, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation for selecting me as the 2005-2006 Scholar. It is a privilege to be among the ranks of other recipients who were deemed to have the ability and promise to not only pursue a college education to prepare themselves for their profession but also to represent the Foundation that was founded for such an exemplary role model, Mrs. Grace Fort Gouldsby. She was a teacher and friend to my parents and others she knew. I know that there were many worthy candidates and I hope to make this investment in pay benefit others as well.
Since high school I have been very active in college. I joined Kappa Kappa Gamma in the fall of 2005 and have loved every second of it. The first semester that I was eligible I ran for an office. I was elected corresponding secretary. While holding that office I was able to change the way that we do things to be more effective; changes that will help benefit the chapter for years to come. After my time was up in that office, I took on the great responsibility of intramurals chair. I am currently holding that office and loving every bit of it. I am able to get girls to become more active and have fun while working out with playing sports. We won the intramurals trophy under my leadership. Also, in Kappa, I am very active in our philanthropy, Reading Is Fundament program. We go around to local schools and help kids learn how to read – a community service that I feel is very effective and worth all the effort in the world. In addition to Kappa I am a very proud member of Young Conservatives of Texas. We not only try to inform the student body about what is going on in the political world, but try to get as many people as possible to vote. One of my goals is to attain a graduate degree in business and eventually take on a leadership position in a company which will prepare me for serving as an executive level manager.
I am really looking forward to the golf tournament and meeting everyone.
Thank You,
Haley Kyles
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Arielle K. Gooden
2002 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
Arielle Kristine Gooden was born in Austin, TX on March 28, 1984 to Kevan and Wanda Gooden. As a child, it was apparent that she was gifted as she sat on the lap of an opera singer and mimicked her every sound on pitch. Over the years, she developed a love for music, among other things. She is a 2002 graduate of Hooks High School, and at the age of 21, she graduated from Oral Roberts University (ORU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minor in Non-Profit Business. During her time at ORU, she served as a community outreach assistant, an assistant resident hall director, a member of Psi Chi Rho (psychology club), music ministries, and souls ‘a’ fire choir.
Her educational pursuits have been continual, as she attended Texarkana Cosmetology Academy in 2007 for Esthetics certification (skin care & makeup), and, most recently, has enrolled at Texas A&M University-Texarkana where she is a part of the Alternative Teacher Certification and Masters Program on a path to her Texas Teacher Certification and Master of Science in Education. Arielle’s personal philosophy of education is that it is not only academic, but it is also emotional, social, and physical. She will begin teaching Fine Arts and Music at a local elementary school in the Fall of 2008.
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Stephanie Heron Blakely
1989 Grace Fort Gouldsby Scholarship Foundation Scholar
Stephanie Hearon Blakely is the 1989 recipient of the Grace Fort Gouldsby Foundation Scholarship Award. Since graduating from Hooks High School, she attended The University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1993. She later received her Master of Arts in Organizational Management from Dallas Baptist University in 1998.
Stephanie is currently a Senior Manager for IBM for the Americas Web & Customer Set Marketing Team. She resides in Frisco, Texas with her husband Steve Blakely and daughters Sloane and Skye.
Stephanie has shown that hard work and dedication to academics has strong benefits to career development.
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