Hunter R. Jenkins of Elkhart and Abigail R. Weston of Round Rock have been selected to receive a Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 991, Palestine Memorial Scholarship for the Fall 2023 academic semester.
Hunter Jenkins was awarded the Katharine (Kay) Stepp Memorial Scholarship. He is a graduate of Elkhart High School, and has enrolled at Stephen F. Austin University. He plans on majoring in Construction Management. His parents are Stephanie Harrison and Jeff Jenkins of Palestine and Anderson County. His sponsor is his Uncle, Ronnie McKinney of Elkhart. He is an Army Veteran from the Vietnam War Era. Kay Stepp is a Navy Veteran from the Vietnam War Era.
Abigail Weston was awarded the Raymond (Ray) Funderburk Memorial Scholarship. She is a graduate of the Round Rock High School, and will attend the University of Texas at Austin. Her planned major is Mathematics. She is the daughter of Danielle and Frederick Weston of Round Rock. Her sponsor is her Grandfather, Michael Kobe of Anderson County. He is an Army Veteran of the Vietnam War, and a Member of VVA Chapter 991. Her Grandmother, Adlene Kobe of Anderson County, is a Member of Chapter AVVA. A native of Anderson County and Palestine, Ray Funderburk is an Army Vietnam War Veteran. He was a Member of VVA Chapter 991.
VVA Chapter 991 conducts two scholarship award cycles each year. One cycle is for the Spring Academic Semester and one for the Fall Academic Semester. The grants are for a post-secondary education academic degree or a professional certification from an accredited technical training institution. A minimum of one award of $1,000 is granted in each cycle. The spring semester award is normally reserved for students currently in school. The fall semester award is normally reserved for graduating high school seniors. The primary qualification criterion is that the applicant must be in the immediate family line of a Veteran who served on active military duty during the Vietnam War Era, and who currently lives in out catchment area which includes Anderson County, the surrounding counties bordering Anderson plus Leon County, or, if the Veteran is deceased, had lived in the area while alive.
The Application for the Spring Academic Semester will be released in June.