The Military Officers Association of America, Ark-La-Tex Chapter, recently presented 23 scholarships at their annual Scholarship Dinner on June 8 at Barksdale Air Force Base.
The scholarship committee selected 14 outstanding high school graduates to receive an academic scholarship, and their average GPA was 3.83 on a 4.0 scale with an average composite ACT score of 29.6.
All scholarships are funded by chapter members who gave a little extra when paying their dues and by members participating in our scholarship matching funds program. The scholarship program received $7,500 in donations to the matching fund program that allowed the Scholarship Committee to award seven $2,000 scholarships in addition to the thirteen $1,000 scholarships.
Additionally, members of the MOAA Pelican Chapter in Deridder, La., donated their annual chapter scholarship and another scholarship to the Ark-La-Tex Chapter’s scholarships.
The winners are:
- Trevor Burke, St. Mark’s in Dallas, Texas ($2,000, Anita Blaufuss Memorial)
- Jacob Barrett, Benton High School, Benton, La. ($2,000, Lt. Col. John Collier Leadership)
- Luke Shaffer, Buckeye Christian Academy (Home School), Bossier City, La. ($2,000, Academic Excellence)
- Jason Brown, Prosper High School, Prosper, Texas ($2,000, Academic Excellence)
- Isabella Silvia, Loyola College Prep, Shreveport, La. ($1,000, Colonel Hackney Memorial)
- Darian Green, Benton High School, Benton, La. ($1,000, Lt. Col. Debusk Memorial)
- Brad Davis, Parkway High School, Bossier City, La. ($1,000, Dorothy Spriggs Academic)
- Mary Nordberg, Loyola College Prep, Shreveport, La. ($1,000, Maj. Dan Marcalus Academic)
- James Hampton, Providence Classical Academy, Bossier City, La. ($1,000, Lt. Col. Jack Van Epps Memorial)
- Anna Munley, Home School ($1,000, Chapter Academic)
- Madeleine Kellett, Haughton High School, Haughton, La. ($1,000, Chapter Leadership)
- Dylan Baldwin, Parkway High School, Bossier City, La. ($1,000, Chapter Leadership)
- Keshaun Garner, Parkway High School, Bossier City, La. ($1,000, Chapter Leadership)
Scholarship recipients who were not able to attend the dinner were:
- Joshua Wong, McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas ($2,000, Colonel Steve dePyssler Academic Excellence Scholarship)
- Ashley Cooley, Wakeland High School, Frisco, Texas ($2,000, Attorney Patricia Miramon Academic Scholarship)
- Sarah Hutchidson, Nacogdoches High School, Nacogdoches High School ($2000, Chapter Academic Scholarship)
- Jeremiah Lee, Trinity Christian High School, Salinas, Ca. ($2,000, Chapter Academic Scholarship)
- Chandler Burns, Benton High School, Benton, La. (Henry Burns accepted) ($1,000, Colonel Michael Dilda Academic Scholarship)
- Chloe Hawkins, Airline High School, Bossier City, La. (Mom and Dad accepting) ($1,000, CMSgt Jimmie Blackmon Memorial Scholarship)
- Emily Egan, Starr’s Mill High School, Fayetteville, Ga. ($1,000, Ark-La-Tex Chapter Academic Scholarship)
The MOAA Louisiana Council of Chapters also awarded three scholarships to students in Louisiana. They are:
- Caroline Dupree, Airline High School, Bossier City, La. ($1,500, LCOC Academic Excellence)
- Aine O’Nuanain, Airline High School, Bossier City, La. (LCOC Academic Excellence)
- Alexia Aguillard ($1,500 LCOC Academic Excellence)
“The Ark-La-Tex Chapter’s 2019 scholarship award recipients are truly an outstanding group of high school graduates with bright futures,” said Air Force Col. (Ret.) Mike Dilda, president of the MOAA Ark-La-Tex Chapter. “They are the future leaders of our nation in many career fields, and the chapter wishes them every success as they pursue their educational and career goals.”
