Four high school seniors who have committed to attend Southwestern College in the fall of 2021 have been awarded full-tuition scholarships.  They are Gabriella Herrera, Arkansas City; Emma Schooler, Andover; Ashley Cockram, Wichita; and Ashlee Johnson, Lewisville, Texas.

“We welcome these four along with the rest of the incoming Class of 2025 to our Builder family with great joy and anticipation,” said president Brad Andrews. “We had a wonderfully talented pool of competitors vying for these scholarships and we are thrilled that so many of those who participated in the scholarship competitions are planning to make Southwestern their home for the next four years.”

The Pillars Scholarship, a merit-based award that recognizes two students who demonstrate outstanding academic abilities, will provide full-tuition support to Herrera and Johnson. The Moundbuilder Spirit Scholarship recognizes two student leaders who are well-rounded, hardworking, and community-minded. The Moundbuilder Spirit Scholarship will provide full-tuition support to Cockram and Schooler. Each of the scholarships is renewable for four years and valued at approximately $150,000.

	Gabriella Herrera is the daughter of Michelle Calvert and Mauricio Herrera and attends Arkansas City High School.  She plans to major in biochemistry and participate in cross country, track and field, and Green Team Southwestern.
	Ashlee Johnson is the daughter of Joanne Johnson and Chuck Johnson and attends Lewisville (Texas) High School.  She plans to major in psychology and participate in women’s golf.
	Ashley Cockram is the daughter of Tonja Wittrock and attends Campus High School.  She plans to major in marine biology and participate in dance, track and field, and Leadership.
	Emma Schooler is the daughter of Casey and Lisa Schooler and attends Andover Central High School.  She plans to major in psychology and is interested in art, music, and gaming.

According to Adam Jenkins, vice president for enrollment management, the college received a record number of applications for both scholarship competitions.

“With a record amount of applicants, we had quite an accomplished group to consider for the competition this year,” Jenkins says.  “The in-person competition saw students from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and all over the country participate in a socially distanced format.  We really saw the best in our competitors this year as they expressed their dreams for the future and described the many ways they are involved in their high schools and communities.  These student competitors reflect the Builder spirit and we are excited to have the opportunity to welcome them into the next freshman class.”

Southwestern's competitive full-tuition scholarship program began in 2016. As the number of students applying for admission to Southwestern has grown, the number applying to compete for the full-tuition competition has also increased. Since the beginning, the full-tuition program has attracted a talented and diverse group of students to apply. Each year a large proportion of the students who compete for the full-tuition awards, but are not selected as the recipients choose to come to Southwestern.

“The students who are attracted to compete for these full-tuition scholarships are the kind of students who find Southwestern to be just the right fit; they are curious and community-minded; they are willing to put in the work,” said Andrews. “My congratulations to the four young women who are this year’s recipients.  We look forward to helping them learn and grow as Builders and we are grateful for the ways that they will strengthen our campus community.”