Spina Bifida Association of North Texas Awards Scholarships

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, members of the Spina Bifida Association of North Texas gathered in Dallas to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of three 2009 – 2010 scholarship students. Jessica Alvarado, a former scholarship recipient, provided words of encouragement for the students as she shared some of her own challenges as well as her achievements that were made possible, in part, by the scholarships she received from SBANT. Tony and Mae Tang, parents of previous scholarship student, Joanna Tang, also attended and shared words of thanks and appreciation for the support that their daughter has received from SBANT. The evening was an excellent opportunity for parents and children, previous and current students, and friends of SBANT to share experiences and encourage one another.

Over the last 9 years, SBANT has awarded more than $85,000 in scholarships to 36 different students and in the history of the organization, over $300,000 in scholarships have been awarded. This year we are proud to award $4,000 in scholarships to three very deserving students. Congratulations to the following winners of this year’s scholarship awards:

Samantha Ross

Whitney Thompson

Ryan White

Samantha Ross recently graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School. She has been taking college level courses at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus and will continue her studies at Tarrant County Community College for the next year. She then plans to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman to pursue an advanced degree in Meteorological/Atmospheric Sciences. Samantha plans a career forecasting storms for the National Weather Service. Samantha has served as the Dance Team Manager for three years and is active in the community, participating in service projects, mentoring programs and Girl Scouts. Samantha attended the scholarship dinner with her mother, Angela, and her service-dog-in-training, Truffles.

 Whitney Thompson is a student at the University of North Texas, working on a degree in Journalism. She participates in her church’s college ministry and writes for the North Texas Daily campus newspaper. She is an accomplished reporter and dedicated student who has overcome many challenges along the way. She hopes to complete her undergraduate degree in the spring of 2010 and then pursue an advanced degree in either creative writing or screenwriting. Whitney has met life’s difficulties head-on and is sure to be a success based on her determination and tenacity.

Ryan White is a student at Dallas Baptist University, working on a degree in Communications. He lives on campus and loves it. He is a dedicated student who spends his free time serving as a lay minister with the Youth and Children’s Ministries of North Mesquite Baptist Church. Ryan is on track to graduate in December 2009 and plans to attend Seminary after he completes his undergraduate degree.

The Spina Bifida Association of North Texas Scholarship Program is funded entirely by private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations with interest in higher education and training beyond high school for individuals with Spina Bifida. Scholarship donations can also be made as a onetime donation to the SBANT Scholarship Program or as an endowed gift. Endowed gifts are invested and the interest earned on the investment is used to fund scholarships annually with naming rights to a scholarship. If you have interest in learning more about making a donation to the Spina Bifida Association of North Texas Scholarship Program please contact the SBANT Executive Director Carroll Brown Arnold at cbarnold@spinabifidant.org and 214.728.9294.

How do I apply for a SBANT Scholarship?

Applications will be available online at www.spinabifidant.org in October and will also run in the January/February 2010 and March/April 2010 issues of The Horizon.

Applicants must be born with Spina Bifida and be a legal resident of the state of Texas. Scholarships are based on financial need, academic record, community service, work history, leadership and other information provided on the applications.

Applications are accepted each year from January 1 – April 15 by the Scholarship Committee. Applicants must submit a SBANT Scholarship Application by April 15, 2010, to be eligible for the 2010 Scholarships.

Applications must be submitted no later than April 15, 2010 to:
Elaine Parham, SBANT Scholarship Chair
1219 Rock Springs Road
Duncanville, Texas 75137

For more information contact Elaine Parham at 972.298.1644 or eparham@belo.com