For the eighth consecutive year, three West Virginia high school seniors have been named as recipients of Fairmont State University’s premier academic scholarship, the Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship.
The following students have been selected as 2016 scholarship winners:
Elizabeth Chaney of Martinsburg, the daughter of Laura Chaney, is a student at Spring Mills High School in Berkeley County. She plans to major in Elementary Education at FSU.
Mattison Johnson of Cairo, the daughter of Richard and Candy Johnson, is a student at Ritchie County High School in Ritchie County. She plans to major in Pre-Secondary Education-Mathematics at FSU.
Tyler Keller of Moundsville, the son of David and Leanne Keller, is a student at John Marshall High School in Marshall County. He plans to major in Political Science at FSU.
“Fairmont State University offers many opportunities for high-achieving students, including our three scholarship winners. I look forward to welcoming them to our campus community,” said Dr. Maria Rose, FSU President. “At FSU, we take seriously our commitment to give our students exactly what they need to be successful in our changing global economy. Fairmont State University is a place where teaching and learning matter and every student can ‘be First.’ By ‘be First,’ we mean FSU provides students with chances to create their own ‘firsts’ based on their personal goals. All students should have the chance to expand their horizons.”
The competitive scholarship includes tuition, room and board and a book stipend. The high school of each of the winners will be presented with a plaque featuring its student during the school’s spring awards assembly.
“The Office of Admissions and Recruitment is very pleased with the highly qualified candidates this year who interviewed for the Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship, our top scholarship,” said Amie Fazalare, Director of Admissions and Recruitment.
To compete for the Presidential Scholarship, named by the FSU Board of Governors in honor of Dr. Charles J. McClain who served as FSU’s interim president from 2008-2009, a student must meet the following criteria:
Be a West Virginia student who is a member of the Class of 2016.
Be a PROMISE Scholarship recipient.
Submit a Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship application and essay.
Complete an FSU admissions file (general application, high school transcript, test scores) prior to Feb. 12, 2016.
Have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Have an ACT composite score of 26 or higher or SAT composite score of 1190 or higher (excluding writing score).
Participate in on-campus interviews.
The deadline to apply for the Charles J. McClain Scholarship is in February each year.
Students from across West Virginia who participated in interviews on campus were named finalists for FSU’s most prestigious scholarship. Each finalist will receive the Charles J. McClain Presidential Finalist Scholarship, which is valued at $1,500 per year and is a four-year scholarship.
The following students were named as finalists:
Amanda Harper of Parsons, the daughter of Harold and Kimberly Harper, attends Tucker County High School in Tucker County.
All PROMISE Scholars also are eligible to participate in the Honors Program, which provides students with the opportunity to deepen their academic experience through smaller classes taught by some of the University’s finest faculty, field trips in the United States and abroad and extracurricular activities on and off campus.
“Honors students find that studying and socializing with other like-minded students helps them to make the most of their university experience,” said Dr. J. Robert Baker, Director of the Honors Program.
With an enrollment of about 4,200, FSU offers six associate degrees, more than 80 baccalaureate degrees, as well as graduate programs in architecture, business, criminal justice and education. Unique programs include National Security and Intelligence and minors in Folklore Studies and Museum Studies. With approximately 200 full-time faculty, the student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1. The institution is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
The mission of Fairmont State University is to provide opportunities for individuals to achieve their professional and personal goals and discover roles for responsible citizenship that promote the common good. In its overarching desire to help transform lives, Fairmont State University values scholarship, opportunity, achievement and responsibility.
For more information, call (800) 641-5678 or (304) 367-4010 or visit www.fairmontstate.edu. For more information about scholarship opportunities at FSU, visit http://www.fairmontstate.edu/finaid/funding/scholarships. Maroon & White Day Fall Campus Visitation for FSU is Nov. 12, 2016.
