Scholarships and Gifts Received

Jack Selan Scholarship
The Jack Selan Memorial Scholarship was established as a memorial to Jack Selan, Arkansas City Junior College Class of 1958, who died suddenly after graduation. It has been maintained by members of the Selan family for 45 years. Jack, who was preparing for a teaching career, was the fourth of his immediate family to graduate from Cowley. He had been preceded by his mother, Alyce LaMotte Selan, his brother, J.A. Selan Jr., and his sister, Joline Selan Iverson. Jack was a news editor of Tiger Tales his freshman year, and was a member of the Student NEA and of the college chorus.

John and Olive Kappler Scholarship
It was the desire of Olive Kappler that a scholarship be established for students of Cedar Vale and Dexter schools. Olive Kappler was a teacher who touched the lives of many young people. She began her teaching career in one-room schools in the Cowley County area before moving to Wichita, where she taught first grade for 29 years. Upon retiring in 1979, she and her husband moved to Dexter. Her interest in life was education, and she hoped to leave something to better the education for the young people of her community.

Michael Gardner Memorial Fund
A memorial fund was established with Renn Memorial Library in memory of Michael Gardner, son of long-time Cowley employee Belva Gardner. Mike Gardner was a beloved history teacher and coach at Westlake Junior High School, Westminster, Colo., and assistant basketball coach at North Glen High School in Colorado. Teaching wasn’t just a vocation, it was the entire focus and the essence of his life. He was a great teacher, as only the most dedicated are, proud of his students, interested, caring, and committed to giving them his best.

Dick and Marcia Turner Memorial Scholarship
The Dick and Marcia Turner Memorial Scholarship was created in May 2000 with a $500 contribution from the Arkansas City Literacy Council. Since then, an additional $1,100 has been contributed by the Arkansas City Class of 1951. Two scholarships annually in the amount of $250 each will be awarded. First preference will be given to a GED student who scored 300 points or better on the final GED exam. Second preference will be an adult learner in financial need. Interested persons should send a letter of request explaining why they feel they are deserving of the scholarship, or an essay titled, "The One Person (or Thing) Which Has Most Influenced My Life." This letter and/or essay will be reviewed by the Arkansas City Literacy Council Executive Committee. The recipient of the scholarship must agree to become a literacy tutor trained in the Laubach Literacy method. The recipient must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 for the second semester renewal of the scholarship. Letters and essays may be mailed to Cowley County Community College Endowment Association, PO Box 1147, Arkansas City, KS 67005.

Spring 2003