Sixteen deserving graduates in the Class of 2009 have
been awarded scholarships of up to $80,000 each to
pursue their dreams of achieving a college degree.
The Chesapeake Scholarship Fund was established to benefit minority and socially disadvantaged youth in select high schools in the Dallas Independent School District and all of the high schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
Chesapeake initiated the scholarship fund in 2007, eventually contributing $2.5 million, and the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth raised another $1.25 million after being challenged to do so by Chesapeake.
The fund, which is expected to help students for at least a decade, came out of Chesapeake’s work with DFW International Airport and the minority partners who share ownership with Chesapeake in a natural gas lease on airport grounds. Today’s winners were announced at the DFW International Airport’s regular board meeting.
Chesapeake chose The Dallas Foundation and Community Foundation of North Texas to independently administer, through their respective selection committees, the scholarship awards to students. The unusually high dollar amounts – as much as $20,000 a year for four years – is meant as a strong commitment for students to not only go to college, but to stay in college without financial worries.
“It will help me have more knowledge to accomplish my goals,” said Elizabeth Patino, 18, a scholarship winner from Dallas who plans to study nursing and medicine, either at the University of Texas at Arlington or Texas Woman’s University. Joe Posada, also 18 and from Dallas, said his scholarship will help him seek an education in emerging multimedia and communications. “It’s going to open some doors for me,” said Posada, who plans to attend the University of Texas at Dallas.
Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief congratulated the students for their early accomplishments.
“Education is the common thread that will help us build our way to a better, more productive tomorrow for our city, our state and our country,” Leppert said. “But none of this would have been possible without the vision, generosity and commitment that Chesapeake Energy has made to these young people of Dallas/Fort Worth. Our thanks go out to them.”
Moncrief told the students, “You are about to embark upon an exciting adventure, and we have high hopes and expectations for each of you … You have a tremendous amount of support from people who want nothing more than to see you succeed.”
Julie Wilson, Chesapeake Vice President of Public Affairs, said the company, in establishing the scholarship fund, wants to see deserving students get a chance at college, no matter what their income level, with the understanding that they have to continue to study hard to keep their scholarships intact.
“We want these students to not only go to college, but to graduate,” Wilson said, adding: “The main purpose is to make the dream of a college education accessible to minority and socially disadvantaged young people who possess all of the talent, skills and ambition necessary to be successful.”
Mary Humphreys, with the Community Foundation of North Texas, which administers the scholarship in Fort Worth, agreed. “These students who apply for this are just wonderful,” Humphreys said. “We are very proud to be a part of this program.”