The inaugural group of scholarship recipients of the Edwin C. Schroeder Trust are now taking classes throughout the Lone Star College System, most at Cy-Fair College.
Seventeen scholarships were made possible this year through the Cypress-Fairbanks Educational Foundation (CFEF). While more than half of these first scholarship recipients are also the first to attend college in their family, one student, Karina Joya, is also the first in her family to graduate high school.
Joya, who is taking classes at the Fairbanks Center, said she felt really happy to receive a scholarship because not only can she continue her education, it shows family members behind her that financial help is available. Joya is studying international business and is considering a career in business administration or customer service in the airline industry.
Among the other majors of her fellow scholarship recipients are education, psychology, nursing, journalism, international business, speech therapy and music.
The Schroeder trust was originally established as an agricultural scholarship for Cy-Fair High School students in memory of Edwin C. Schroeder, who was an ag teacher, driver’s ed teacher, counselor and scholarship founder.
“Edwin C. Schroeder valued honest, hardworking young people who truly wanted to continue their education but did not have the funds to fulfill their academic need,” said Schroeder executor Laurie Snyder, at last year’s donor reception. “So he chose to create the Edwin C. Schroeder Scholarship Foundation to help students continue their education and become a valuable member of the Cy-Fair Community.”
Last year Bob Adams and the Cypress Fairbanks Educational Foundation (CFEF) board worked with Schroeder trustees to find a way to increase the impact of the trust. The result is a special CFEF fund that will provide approximately $50,000 annually in $1,000 scholarships for graduating CFISD students to use at any NHMCCD college for years to come.
Cy-Fair ISD seniors can apply for these scholarships for 2008 with their high school counselor or go through the Lone Star College–CyFair web site at cyfair.lonestar.edu/cfef for applications and instructions. Completed applications should be turned into the high school counselor’s office.
For information on this scholarship opportunity, contact a high school counselor or call Dr. Diana Pino, dean of student services at Lone Star College–CyFair, at 281-290-3982.