WKU Student Publications recently announced 18 recipients of $16,700 in scholarship money for the 2021-22 academic year.
The awards were announced April 23 at the end-of-the-year celebration for Talisman, the College Heights Herald, Student Publications Advertising and Cherry Creative.
The scholarships were funded through 12 endowments housed in the College Heights Foundation that generate scholarship funds reserved for students working at Student Publications. The endowments were created by alumni and friends of the publications.
Three of the scholarships were awarded for the first time, each honoring a member of the Student Publications family who has died:
- Judith Koch Ecker, editor of the College Heights Herald in 1954-55 and a Western faculty member from 1962-67 who created some of the first journalism and photojournalism courses at the university. She died in 2012.
- Elliott Wells, a former Herald sports reporter who died unexpectedly in his sleep on Dec. 18, 2020, at the age of 22, in the middle of his senior year at WKU.
- Mike Collins, a Herald photojournalist alumnus who graduated in 1984 and was director of business operations for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He died Feb. 25 after a brief bout with Covid-19.
The scholarships awarded and recipients for 2021-22 are:
Paul and Ellen Schuhmann Student Publications Scholarship
$6,000 available
- Gabi Broekema, a rising senior from Bowling Green, $3,000.
- Gabrielle Bunton, a rising senior from Bowling Green, $3,000.
Don E. Collins Scholarship
$2,500 available
- Kaden Gaylord, a rising senior from Lexington, $2,500.
Miss Frances Richards Scholarship
$1,600 available
- Debra Murray, a rising sophomore from Louisville, $600.
- Leah Hunter, a rising sophomore from Hendersonville, Tennessee, $500.
- Veronica Teeter, a rising sophomore from Carmel, Indiana, $500.
Bob Adams Journalism Scholarship
$1,300 available
- Jacob Latimer, a rising sophomore from Henderson, $1,300.
Lowell L. and Opal F. Valentine Scholarship
$1,300 available
- Alexandra Hendricks, a rising junior from New Windsor, New York, $500.
- Preston Romanov, a rising sophomore from Louisville, $400.
- Wyatt Sparkman, a junior from Louisville, $400.
David B. Whitaker Scholarship
$1,200 available
- Cristina Betz, a rising junior from Roswell, Georgia, $600.
- Jack Dobbs, a rising senior from Franklin, $600.
James D. Ausenbaugh Scholarship
$600 available
- Julianna Lowe, a senior from Bowling Green, $600.
Red O’Donnell Award and Scholarship
$500 available
- Nick Kieser, a senior from Hendersonville, Tennessee, $500.
Judith Koch Ecker Memorial Scholarship
$500 available
- Tucker Covey, a sophomore from Woodstock, Georgia, $500.
Bryan Leigh Armstrong Memorial Scholarship
$400 available
- Leo Bertucci, a rising senior from Louisville, $400.
Elliott Wells Memorial Scholarship
$400 available
- Gunnar Word, a junior from Edmonton, $400.
Mike Collins Memorial Scholarship
$400 available
- Matthew Collins, the namesake’s son and a rising junior from Frederick, Maryland, $400.
