May 2, 2006

KERRVILLE—Sixteen high school graduates from the Hill Country have been chosen to receive full scholarships from the Floyd A. and Kathleen C. Cailloux Foundation (the Foundation) of Kerrville, Texas. The Foundation established The Cailloux Foundation Scholarship Program in 2000 to benefit graduating seniors from selected Texas Hill Country high schools.  

The 2006 recipients have been chosen from high schools in Bandera, Comfort, Fredericksburg, Harper, Ingram, Kerrville, Nueces Canyon, and Rocksprings. Awards are up to $12,000 per recipient annually and are for undergraduate study only. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years for a maximum multi-year award of $48,000 per student. Scholarship recipients attend four-year public or private colleges or universities in Texas. The program currently has 48 freshmen through senior level students participating as scholarship recipients.  

The 2006 scholarship recipients include Cody Kelly of Bandera, Stephen Cade of Comfort, Keith Meredith of Comfort, Jessica Eckhardt of Fredericksburg, Natalie Pascarella of Harper, Meghan Thompson of Harper, Amanda Givens of Ingram, Leonard Morgan of Barksdale, Robert Pena of Rocksprings, Taylor Atkins from Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High School in Kerrville, as well as Daniel Elliott, Eric Flanagan, Candace Highsmith, Larra Jenschke, Joanna Ohlhausen, and Alle Osborne from Kerrville’s Tivy High School.  

Alle Osborne IV from Kerrville's Tivy High School will attend Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and major in pre-medicine studies.

Amanda Givens from Ingram Tom Moore High School will major in journalism at the University of North Texas, Denton.

Candace Highsmith from Kerrville's Tivy High School will major in business at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Cody Kelly, valedictorian at Bandera High School, will major in aerospace engineering at Texas A&M at College Station.

Daniel Elliott from Kerrville's Tivy High School will major in music at UTSA in San Antonio.

Eric Flanagan from Kerrville's Tivy High School will attend UT Austin to study international business.

Jessica Eckhardt from Fredericksburg High School will study animal science at Texas A&M at College Station.

Joanna Ohlhausen from Tivy High School will stay in Kerrville to major in graphic art at Schreiner University.

Keith Meredith, valedictorian from Comfort High School, will major in architecture at Texas A&M at College Station.

Larra Jenschke from Kerrville's Tivy High School will major in civil engineering at Texas A&M at College Station.

Leonard (Lee) Morgan III, salutatorian at Nueces Canyon High School near Barksdale will major in mechanical engineering at UTSA in San Antonio.

Meghan Thompson from Harper High School will study biochemistry at Baylor in Waco.

Natalie Pascarella, valedictorian at Harper High School, will attend UT Austin and major in biochemistry.

Robert Pena, valedictorian at Rocksprings High School, will major in electrical engineering at UT Austin.

Stephen Cade from Comfort High School will major in communications at UT Austin.

Taylor Atkins of Kerrville's Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High School will major in pre-medicine at Trinity University in San Antonio.

The applicants met or exceeded a minimum Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score requirement of 1022, or a minimum American College Test (ACT) score of 22. They also have a minimum grade average of 85 and are in the top one-third of their class. Scholarship applications were made available to any interested senior graduating from an eligible high school and meeting the academic and financial eligibility requirements. Eligible high schools include Bandera High School, the Big Spring Charter School near Leakey, Center Point High School, Comfort High School, Fredericksburg High School, Harper High School, Ingram’s Tom Moore High School, Junction High School, Leakey High School, Mason High School, Medina High School, the Nueces Canyon High School near Barksdale, Our Lady of the Hills Catholic High School in Kerrville, Rocksprings High School, Tivy High School in Kerrville, and Utopia High School in Utopia. Applications were distributed by high school counselors, from the Foundation office, and at a college preparatory event at Tivy High School.  

Final selection of recipients for the scholarship awards were overseen by Scholarship Program Administrators (SPA) of  Nashville, TN. SPA utilized standard comprehensive recipient selection procedures in making the final selections including the consideration of past academic performance, financial need, statement of career goals, educational aspirations, work experience, unusual personal or family circumstances, leadership skills, participation in school and community activities, recommendation letters, and an essay.

“The costs of higher education have risen dramatically over the last few years and we are very pleased to be able to assist these deserving young people as they prepare for their future,” said Sandy Cailloux Executive Director for the Foundation.

The Foundation’s mission is to perpetuate the vision of founders Floyd A. and Kathleen C. Cailloux through the betterment of individual lives, with emphasis on the needs of disadvantaged children. Contact the Foundation at 830-895-5222 for additional information.n