Spanish Scholarships for 2020!

Spanish Scholarships awarded for 2020-21 Academic Year

The ECU Department of English and Languages congratulates scholarship recipients in the discipline of Spanish language study for the 2020-21 academic year.

The C. B. and Eleanor Dedmon Spanish Scholarship, which can be continued for eight semesters, is awarded to an incoming freshman minoring in Spanish. The Dedmons established both this scholarship and the Ozella Waner English Scholarship in gratitude for their educations at ECU.

This year’s recipient is Michael Draper. Michael was named an Academic All-Stater and Oklahoma Academic Scholar out of Ada High School. In high school he participated in Student Council, Marching and Concert Band, Mock Trial, Academic Team, and the Science Club. He also served as the chapter president of Future Health Professionals of America and as a student ambassador for the Pontotoc Technology Center. He plans to major in Biology and minor in Spanish while at ECU.

Continuing Dedmon Scholars are Geovanni Trujillo, Mackenzie Bratton, and Abigail Fowler.

This year’s recipient of the Briles language scholarship is Jacob Talkington. Jacob is a highly motivated student who tells people that he learned Spanish on Duolingo, but that is only part of the story. Jacob came into the Spanish program with an admirable level of fluency because of his initiative to dig into the language before he ever took a university class. He enrolled in classes in his major at the Universidad de Extremadura in the Spring of 2020, but his semester abroad was

cut short when the countrywide quarantine caused by Covid-19 shut down nearly all activities in Spain, one of the areas hardest hit by the virus. He is back in Ada looking to finish up his degree.

The Luther Edge Spanish Scholarship was founded to acknowledge and encourage the academic achievement of Spanish-speaking students and students pursuing Spanish language studies.

Brittany West, one of this year’s recipients, has served on the Spanish Club presidency for the last two years, including as president for the 2019–20 academic year. In 2018, she traveled on ECU’s inaugural trip to Mexico City, where she visited places like Teotihuacán, Tula, Querétaro, Cholula, Puebla, and Mexico City. She is a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society and has participated in the University Honors Program as an Executive Team Representative.

As an incoming Freshman, Vivian Kate Tapia is one of the youngest recipients of a Spanish scholarship this year, but she is also the only one who has traveled to Spain with a group from ECU. As a freshman in high school, she joined her cousin on the last trip that the Spanish program made to Spain. Spanish is her first language, and as a high school student she participated in tennis, basketball, and Rotary.

The recipient of the Higginbotham Family Language Scholarship is Callie Briggs. Callie is one of the most active students on campus, participating in numerous extracurricular activities. She is a former president of the Panhellenic Council and brought her experience to the Spanish

Club. She has even been known to skip Spanish class (excused, of course) to administer flu shots to the community as part of her work with the Nursing Program.

The Oscar L. Parker Spanish Scholarship was founded by Paul Swinford, a former student of Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker was a long-time employee of ECU and was also a founding member of the ECU Foundation, Inc. in 1970, and served as its first director. Emily Ford, this year’s recipient, will begin her sophomore year at ECU studying elementary education. She was one of the few incoming freshmen to receive a Spanish scholarship during the 2019–20 academic year. A member of the ECU Honors Program, she is an outgoing student who has generously given of her time to help fellow classmates understand the concepts studied in class.

The Beatrice Wiseheart Spanish Scholarship was established by Ms. Wisehart’s daughter, Susan Little, to honor achievement in Spanish language study and commitment to the ongoing practice of the Spanish language in a student’s personal and professional life. This year’s recipient, Patricia Alexander, is the epitome of perseverance. She grew up in Costa Rica, moved to the United States, raised a family, and has come to ECU looking to finish the studies that she began elsewhere. For the last semester, she has made an hour-long commute to Ada to attend her classes. She plans to receive a bachelor degree in psychology.