May 12, 2009

KERRVILLE—Sixteen high school graduates from the Hill Country have been chosen to receive 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 2009 recipients have been chosen from high schools in Bandera, Comfort, Harper, Ingram, Kerrville, Mason, Nueces Canyon, and Leakey. 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 will now have 64 freshmen through senior level students participating as scholarship recipients.

 The 2009 scholarship recipients include Stephanie L. Biediger and Marion F. Marxer from Bandera High School; John Rice from Comfort High School; Megan A. Torres from Harper High School; Allison B. Anderson from Ingram Tom Moore High School; Joseph D. Austin and Shelby M. Rasco from Leakey High School; Stephen R. Marquez from Mason High School; Jeremy A. Johnson and Clint N. Morgan from Nueces Canyon High School; Kyle D. Higgins from Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High School; as well as Amanda L. Gerken, John H. Gruetzner, Courtney L. Parmer, William B. Willis, and Hayden T. Wood all from Kerrville’s Tivy High School.

Allison Anderson of Ingram will major in pharmacy at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

Joseph Austin of Leakey will major in accounting at Schreiner University in Kerrville.

Stephanie Biediger of Pipe Creek will major in English literature at Rice University in Houston.

Amanda Gerken of Kerrville will major in German and history at the University of Texas at Austin.

John Gruetzner of Kerrville will major in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Kyle Higgins of Kerrville will major in engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Jeremy Johnson of Camp Wood will major in chemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

Stephen Marquez of Mason will major in psychology and biology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Marion Marxer will major in pharmacy at Austin College in Sherman.

Clint Morgan of Barksdale will major in biology at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

Courtney Parmer of Kerrville will major in marketing at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Shelby Rasco of Leakey will major in biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

John Rice of Waring will major in graphic design at Schreiner University in Kerrville.

Megan Torres of Mountain Home will major in business at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.

William Willis of Kerrville will major in journalism at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Hayden Wood of Kerrville will major in geology at Texas A&M University in College Station.

 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, Ed Brune High School at Big Spring Ranch 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, 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. The scholarship application was available on the Internet for any eligible student from November 1, 2008 through February 1, 2009.

 Final selection of recipients for the scholarship awards were overseen by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) of  Nashville, TN. ISTS 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 Foundation is committed to the scholarship program and we believe it is a very wise use of charitable dollars,” said Ben Modisett, Assistant Executive Director for the Foundation, “We are pleased to be able to provide assistance and encouragement to young people,” he added.

The Foundation’s mission is to perpetuate the vision of founders Floyd A. and Kathleen C. Cailloux. Contact the Foundation at 830-895-5222 or view the scholarship section of this web site for additional information.n