View From The Hill
(5/7/09)

Scholarship Development

WKU has racked up its highest number of prestigious scholarships in the school’s history.

In this week’s “View from the Hill”, Amy Bingham explains how students now have help navigating the rigorous scholarship application process.

The office of Scholar Development was established at WKU last summer.  Since then, Amy Eckhardt has been helping Western’s brightest students compete for scholarships…and the effort is paying off.

Sometimes I feel like part psychologist, part mother, part nag…it all comes together at the end.”

In less than a year, Amy Eckhardt has helped WKU students receive more federal commemorative scholarships than any other public or private school in Kentucky.
 
“I can’t take too much credit for this, the students were here, they’ve been working with faculty ..what I did is help identify opportunities for them.”

Junior Patrick Stewart of Summer Shade is one of two WKU students receiving a five thousand dollar Udall scholarship.
 
“It’s a really prestigious award there are not a lot offered…”
 
Even more impressive when you realize Patrick needs a wheelchair to get around campus.

A bulldozing accident in 2002 caused severe damage to his leg….but this non-traditional student, who also has five children, remains dedicated to a career as an environmentalist.
 
“I just do everything I can the best I can to prove to my kids that it can be done…”
Including receiving a Udall scholarship…which he says he couldn’t have done without Eckhardt’s help.
 
“Amy was there every step of the way, every time I turned something in she would say you can’t do this..can’t do that..”

For Eckhardt, it’s all in a days work .
 
“The president asked us to do something to help WKU have national prominence, certainly these scholarships bring national recognition to WKU.”

The other Udall recipient is William Coe of Louisville.

Other notable scholarships include Gatton Academy senior Dalton Hubble who received a Goldwater scholarship, Teressa Rerras who is a finalist in the Truman scholarship competition…and Abbie Hutchison, Jessica Jenkins and Joshua Smith who received the Benjamin A. Gilman International scholarship.

With this week’s View from the Hill, I’m Amy Bingham.