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The college dreams of 30 high school graduates will be realized this fall thanks to the Burleson Opportunity Fund.
The new scholarship is intended to give all Burleson students access to higher education, said Mayor Ken Shetter.
“Two-year college isn’t for everyone, but the kid we are targeting is the one who wouldn’t otherwise go to college,” he said. “My goal is just to provide universal access.”
The city donated $25,000 to the fund, and Burleson ISD, Hill College and numerous businesses contributed to raise $80,000 for the fund, according to a press release.
The scholarships cover fees and tuition for 32 credit hours per student.
“This year, we were able to provide scholarships to all the kids who needed them,” said Shetter. “And hopefully, as we have more kids apply, we’ll have more funds to accommodate them.”
“The mayor, the city and the ISD have given the students a tremendous opportunity,” said Sheryl Kappus, president of Hill College. “This is a unique program, and it will be a national model for other cities.”
Shetter said the benefits of the Burleson Opportunity Fund are endless, especially because it helps create jobs and keep more graduates in the Burleson community.
“All those students who get the scholarship will be staying at home in Burleson and spending money in Burleson,” he said. “It’s also important to promote higher education.”
When businesses look at cities when deciding where to open their branches, they look at the availability of an educated workforce, Shetter said.
“If you look at the job market today, it’s absolutely critical to continue education beyond high school,” he said. “And that will be more and more true with every year that passes.”
Having more young adults in school may also help lower the crime rate, he said.
“We’re strengthening opportunities for our youth, and this is just a start,” he said. “Imagine a community where every child, from the time they enter kindergarten, they know they will go to college. It makes a big difference.”
Kappus said community colleges provide smaller classes than typical four-year universities, and instruction is tailored to meet each student’s needs.
“We’re all about accepting students where they are and taking them where they want to be,” she said.
This year’s 30 scholarship winners attended an orientation in early August to become acquainted with their new academic home.
Students are required to maintain an adequate GPA to retain their scholarships, Shetter said, and they will be asked to perform community service.
“I’m just really excited about Burleson being a community that values education,” he said.
Scholarship recipients were Crossroads High School students Samantha Ahrens, Matthew Hurt, Morgan Love, Nic Polsen and Jordan Roberts and Burleson High School students Brandy Allen, Cooper Bailey, Colby Barksdale, Stashia Beck, Brittany Clements, Kassandra Dodgin, Blair Falcone, Emily Galbraith, Kelsy Holt, Steven Holt, Bethany Kester, Jose Lagunas, Keenan Langford, Ashtyn Leslie, Nicholas Lewis, Patrick Martin, Kristen Lacy McGee, Jared Morton, Kodi Murdock, Brittani Oleksy, Lacy Plummer, Aaron Trebing, Kayla Vaughan, Jessica Williams and Rachel Young.
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