Church Leader Scholarships to be awarded again this spring--Two high school seniors from UMC congregations will receive full-tuition grants
PULASKI, Tenn. — Before this academic year is done, two high school seniors active in their United Methodist Church congregations will receive a full, four-year scholarship to Martin Methodist College that will forever change their lives.
It’s the seventh year of Martin Methodist College’s Church Leader Scholarships, awarded to students showing exceptional promise in the area of church leadership. Each spring, Martin Methodist awards a scholarship worth more than $82,500 to two high school seniors that covers four years of tuition, basic room and board.
And to call it life-changing is hardly an exaggeration.
“The Church Leader Scholarship was the deciding factor in my coming to Martin Methodist College. It has enabled me to use my gifts in various areas, and it has also provided an environment where those gifts can be nurtured and developed,” said Cole Wise, a 2003 recipient from Smyrna (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, who is serving as student government president during his senior year. “I would encourage students to give Martin Methodist College prayerful consideration and talk to their ministers for guidance.”
To be considered for a Church Leader Scholarship, students must be a youth leader in his or her United Methodist church, possess a minimum 3.0 high school grade point average, and show evidence of a long-term commitment and leadership in their local churches. They do not, however, have to pursue a church vocation as a result of this scholarship; while some past recipients have majored in pre-seminary or church education, others have majored in biology or business administration with plans to serve the church in a laity role.
“Recipients of this scholarship will be given countless opportunities to grow in their faith and to continue to develop their leadership skills,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations at Martin Methodist College. “Just one example of the leadership opportunities and to see the United Methodist Church from a broader perspective is that the CLS recipients will attend the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.”
It will be the second time Martin Methodist College has sent its scholarship recipients to the United Methodist Church’s General Conference; a contingent from the college attended the 2004 event in Pittsburgh.
“This scholarship has given me the opportunity to come to an environment that encourages me to be a woman of God and to accomplish all of my goals for life after college,” said Melissa Stewart, a 2004 recipient from Hendersonville (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, “always keeping in mind that no matter what happens with this scholarship, the opportunities at Martin Methodist College will remain.”
The scholarship process begins each October with the deadline coming the following March 1 of each year. For 2007, applicants will be on campus for competition on two Saturdays, March 17 and March 31.
The scholarships will be awarded in the first week of April, but the two CLS recipients will not be the only applicants to benefit by this scholarship competition. Three-fourths of the students who applied last year wound up in the freshman class this fall, having received significant financial aid awards as well.
For more information or to recommend someone for the Martin Methodist College Church Leader Scholarship, contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or mparrish@martinmethodist.edu.
Interested persons can also get information and apply on-line at www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/scholarships.
It’s the seventh year of Martin Methodist College’s Church Leader Scholarships, awarded to students showing exceptional promise in the area of church leadership. Each spring, Martin Methodist awards a scholarship worth more than $82,500 to two high school seniors that covers four years of tuition, basic room and board.
And to call it life-changing is hardly an exaggeration.
“The Church Leader Scholarship was the deciding factor in my coming to Martin Methodist College. It has enabled me to use my gifts in various areas, and it has also provided an environment where those gifts can be nurtured and developed,” said Cole Wise, a 2003 recipient from Smyrna (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, who is serving as student government president during his senior year. “I would encourage students to give Martin Methodist College prayerful consideration and talk to their ministers for guidance.”
To be considered for a Church Leader Scholarship, students must be a youth leader in his or her United Methodist church, possess a minimum 3.0 high school grade point average, and show evidence of a long-term commitment and leadership in their local churches. They do not, however, have to pursue a church vocation as a result of this scholarship; while some past recipients have majored in pre-seminary or church education, others have majored in biology or business administration with plans to serve the church in a laity role.
“Recipients of this scholarship will be given countless opportunities to grow in their faith and to continue to develop their leadership skills,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations at Martin Methodist College. “Just one example of the leadership opportunities and to see the United Methodist Church from a broader perspective is that the CLS recipients will attend the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.”
It will be the second time Martin Methodist College has sent its scholarship recipients to the United Methodist Church’s General Conference; a contingent from the college attended the 2004 event in Pittsburgh.
“This scholarship has given me the opportunity to come to an environment that encourages me to be a woman of God and to accomplish all of my goals for life after college,” said Melissa Stewart, a 2004 recipient from Hendersonville (Tenn.) First United Methodist Church, “always keeping in mind that no matter what happens with this scholarship, the opportunities at Martin Methodist College will remain.”
The scholarship process begins each October with the deadline coming the following March 1 of each year. For 2007, applicants will be on campus for competition on two Saturdays, March 17 and March 31.
The scholarships will be awarded in the first week of April, but the two CLS recipients will not be the only applicants to benefit by this scholarship competition. Three-fourths of the students who applied last year wound up in the freshman class this fall, having received significant financial aid awards as well.
For more information or to recommend someone for the Martin Methodist College Church Leader Scholarship, contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or mparrish@martinmethodist.edu.
Interested persons can also get information and apply on-line at www.martinmethodist.edu/ccl/scholarships.
