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FERC Annual Scholarship Day Awards presented to 112Children

Rebecca Lomax
Board members and guests of theFoundation for the Education of Rural Children, (FERC), recently travelled tothe Region IV offices of the Department of Education for the annual FERCScholarship Day. An anxious and happy 112 children and their teachers gatheredshortly after 9 a.m. to await their guests and benefactors. After welcoming theguests and children, Region IV officials asked Frank Weicks, ScholarshipChairman, to address the young scholars. Frank, more than happy to oblige,congratulated them on their achievements, and stated that he hoped that theywould study hard, keep themselves healthy, and remember to help others whenthey had completed their education.

Norman Robinson, FERCScholarship Committee member, receives a real x91labour of lovex92 from ascholarship recipientx97a hand-made pink towelling teddy bear with button eyes.
Chadurat Kankuem, representing the high school students who receivedscholarship awards, addressed the group in English, thanking them for theirsupport and, continuing, explained her dreams and ambitions. She spoke abouther favourite subjects and her desire to attend university, and stated that sheintends to help other students after she completes her education, just as theFERC scholarship has helped her. Board and committee members and their guestsenjoyed every minute of the giving of the scholarships to each child, andreceived many polite x91waisx92 in return, with some students even taking the opportunityto practice their English language skills by saying x93thank youx94.
At the end of the ceremony, the high school scholarship recipients took fulladvantage of their opportunity to thank FERC by giving representatives of thefoundation token gifts from their homes or villages, including a very cutehome-made pink towelling teddy bear with button eyes given to Norm Robinson!
Eligible students must be recommended by their teachers and pass throughsuccessive screening processes. The final group is interviewed and recommendedby members of the FERC Scholarship Committee, then approved by the Board.Members of this group also monitor the progress of the students during theschool year, visiting the schools and interviewing both students and teachers.