MISENHEIMER — Pfeffer University recently announced the names of its 16 local presidential scholarship award recipients, who each graduated from a Stanly County high school with a GPA ranging between 3.5 and 4.0.
“Pfeiffer University and Stanly County Schools have enjoyed an authentic and collaborative relationship for decades,” Dr. Dawn Lucas, Pfeiffer’s interim dean of the undergraduate college, said in a university press release. “Over the last several years, we have welcomed dozens of Stanly County students to Pfeiffer University to continue their educational journey.”
Gisell Acosta, Cayman Buck, Hailey Caudle, Mckinlee Coble, Kade Cooper, Braelyn Couick, Peyton Gentry, Reece Gentry, Jaime Jaramillo, Madison Lomax, Wyatt Reeder, Annika Schneider, Layla Simpson, Caroline Vanhoy, Raegan Waggoner and Luke Webb are the latest scholarship winners from within the county.
“This year, we are thrilled to have a record number of Stanly County Schools alumni entering as presidential scholarship awardees,” Lucas continued. “We look forward to watching their growth in the classroom and the positive impact they will have on our community as they progress through their respective programs.”
Emily Carella, Pfeiffer University’s vice president for enrollment management, added that Pfeiffer is dedicated to providing financial aid assistance to high school students from nearby areas.
“We have made a real effort to give our local students a quality education at an affordable price,” Carella said. “On average, this group of students is paying less than $1,500 a semester to attend Pfeiffer.”
Less than a week before announcing the university’s presidential scholarship recipients, Pfeiffer also announced that one of its students — senior Madison Lowery (‘24) — has been chosen as a recipient of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) Criminal Justice Scholarship.
The NCSA annually awards 38 scholarships to students majoring in criminal justice at a UNC System University or a North Carolina Independent College or University.
“The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, on behalf of North Carolina’s 100 constitutionally elected sheriffs, is proud to partner with the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities to provide an annual college scholarship to one student in the criminal justice program at each of the independent colleges and universities that have such a program,” NCSA president Ed McMahon said.
In order to be selected for a scholarship, students must produce a one-page essay detailing their educational and career goals as well as their personal interest in the scholarship. Additionally, students are required to receive a letter of support from the sheriff of their local county.
Lowery, who transferred to Pfeiffer from Catawba College to finish her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, has also played with the Falcons’ track and cross-country teams. Last November, she became the first female in program history to compete in the NCAA Division III Cross-Country Championships in Lansing, MI.
With plans of becoming a police officer after graduation, she stated in a university press release that her higher education experiences have increased her desire to enter law enforcement soon.
“Being in school has deepened my reason for wanting to become a police officer because I have become more educated about our society,” Lowery said. “Seeing all the corruption around us in the world doesn’t settle with me, and if I can’t change it, I can at least challenge it.”