Eryan Beck, daughter of Joe Dean and Betty Jo Beck, was presented an $1175 Scholarship by the Democratic Central Committee of Benton County at its meeting Wednesday.  Eryan is a 2010 graduate of Gentry High School and an honor student. The family are active in farming and business in their community.

 


Eryan was a star pitcher on the varsity softball team.  She has been active in her church, and has had summer jobs at Safari Park and as a lifeguard in Gentry and Decatur.  She plans on using her scholarship to study nursing at NWACC. 

 

Gwen Terry, Membership Committee Chair, made the presentation.  The scholarship is an outgrowth of the group’s support of education as a means of promoting informed citizenship.  Eryan was selected on the basis of her essay, grades, community participation, and real world and work experience. 

The subject of the essay was  “Should there be public funding of political campaigns?”  The essays - with names omitted - were graded by three qualified readers. As an educational tool, the critiqued essays were returned to the essayists.

The contest was open to graduating seniors from all the public high schools in Benton County. There were thirty entries from Siloam Springs, Gentry, Gravette, Rogers High School, Rogers Heritage High School, Bentonville High School, and Pea Ridge High School.

The Scholarship Committee was chaired by Gwen Terry.  Members were Jeremy Ayre, Al Hitt, Vivian Michaels, and Gwen Millager.