2021 Allen Scholars and Boys & Girls Club Scholars excited to begin college career
Monday, January 10, 2022
Media Contact: Kristi Wheeler | Manager, CEAT Marketing and Communications | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu
Incoming students Keshawn Wallace and Grace Hendrix were named the 2021 recipients of the W.W. Allen Scholarship.
The Allen Scholars Program at Oklahoma State University offers engineering students more than $135,000 in scholarship and enrichment. For two students each year, the program offers industry networking, study abroad, mentorship, an annual scholarship of $8,500, plus full tuition and housing for a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge.
Hendrix, an incoming freshman majoring in industrial engineering and management, grew up in Morrilton, Arkansas. Hendrix was heavily involved during high school and was the president of Beta Club, Math Club and Student Council.
“Grace immerses herself into her community and she advocates for her peers,” said Jamie Mullens, math teacher at Morrilton High School. “She is trustworthy, intelligent, attentive, personable and seeks to learn more every day. Most teachers are not fortunate enough to have a student for multiple years and I have had the privilege of teaching Grace for five years. I have watched her develop into a mature and successful young woman who will accomplish many great things in her lifetime. She is an enormously talented and diligent individual. I am beyond proud of her as a student but more importantly, I am encouraged by her as a person.”
The Boys & Girls Club Scholarship Program is one of the programs provided by W. Wayne Allen through OSU. It was designed to benefit a person who was an active member of a Boys & Girls Club while in high school, and who wishes to pursue educational goals in the field of engineering.
This is an OSU exclusive scholarship program, awarding $15,000 per year to an incoming freshman for up to four years of study toward a bachelor’s degree in engineering, as well as enrichment activities and international travel.
Wallace — an incoming freshman majoring in chemical engineering — grew up in Paris, Texas. While a student-athlete, Wallace focused on his STEM-related classes and his involvement with many school clubs and activities.
Wallace was originally interviewed for the Boys & Girls Club Scholars Program — but ended up being selected as a W.W. Allen Scholar because Wallace impressed the scholarship committee and donor. Due to this, he will be receiving annual scholarship funding from the Boys & Girls Club scholarship while still receiving the full benefits of the W.W. Allen Scholars Program.
In high school, Wallace was involved in Ignite Ministries, as well as a member of the student council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his school’s athletic program. Wallace also had significant involvement with the Boys & Girls Club throughout his life.
“My involvement with my local Boys & Girls Club began with my intentions to play football in the third grade,” Wallace said. “I loved playing for this organization so much that I decided to play basketball and indoor soccer for them and eventually ended up attending their summer and after-school programs.This went on for three years until I had to move to another city. During those three years, I led my football team to our Super Bowl twice, scoring the game-winning touchdown both times. As a student, I helped tutor those in the grades below me that also attended the after-school program. This sparked the beginning of my helping nature that was further molded by the men who worked for the club.”
Wallace started his freshman year at OSU this fall. After graduation, Wallace plans to get his master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and go on to become a prosthetics engineer.
Incoming aerospace engineering freshman Jack Chartier was selected as the 2021 Boys & Girls Club Scholar.
Chartier grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and attended Paradise Valley High School. During his time in high school, Chartier was a part of his school’s Link Crew, an opportunity to be a mentor to incoming freshmen, and drama shows.
Chartier was also involved with the Boys & Girls Club throughout his childhood.
“From my time in the Boys & Girls Club, I learned many useful skills still applicable in my life today,” Chartier said. “I attended the after school Boys & Girls Club for two years, and over time became an apprentice to one of my mentors. The longer that I spent at the club, the more responsibility I accumulated, and with this strengthened many of my relationships. The core values of the Boys & Girls Club are inclusivity and cooperation, and in my case, the club portrayed exactly that. Every day I got to participate in activities that allowed me to socialize with my peers and learn what it was like to be part of a true team. Alongside this, I met many of the mentors who still have an impact on my life today. These people have taught me how to lead, listen, cooperate and have responsibility that many teenagers never get to experience. I am still in contact with many of the leaders there who hosted activities, ran the various snack bars and performed upkeep on the club, and thank them for instilling many beneficial qualities in me.”
Story by: Kaitlyn Mires | IMPACT Magazine