The faculty and staff of Westminster Academy could not be more proud of the class of 2017! As a class, they have been offered over $4 million in scholarship money for their college tenures. Several students in the graduating class will likely not pay a single dollar out-of-pocket for their time earning an undergraduate degree.

Emily Jordan was granted a full scholarship to Columbia, where she will begin studying in the fall. “I am incredibly thrilled to be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity. It’s certainly a huge step into the unknown, but I do feel well prepared by my time at Westminster,” she said. “I know that I will be well served not only by my academic background, but also by my social training and carefully cultivated worldview. I’m so excited to represent Westminster as I prepare for life on campus!”

Mary Banks Hickman was accepted into the Mississippi State Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP). This is a scholarship for education majors and covers not only tuition and fees, but also offers benefits that include funding to study abroad and a technology stipend. “One of METP’s primary goals is to attract high school seniors who want to become secondary mathematics teachers, so Mary Banks fit the profile perfectly,” said her mother, Mrs. Hickman.  “She thinks math is ‘beautiful and intriguing,’ and she has been tutoring 5th -7th grade WA students in math for the past four and a half years. Mississippi will be blessed to have her.” Ethan Cox will also be joining Mary Banks at Mississippi State on an academic excellence scholarship.

Ian Goforth was named as a 1794 Scholar for the University of Tennessee College of Engineering Honors Program. Also attending UT Knoxville are Jonathan Thompson, Catherine Vickery, and Max Gustafson, who were all awarded scholarships.

Other choices by the seniors include: Ellen Weaver and Cy Leist to Mississippi College, both on academic scholarships, Addison Furst to Oglethorpe on a presidential scholarship, and Houston Newsome to Colby also on scholarship. Jamie Baum will attend Christian Brothers University on an engineering scholarship, and Sam Keith was awarded a talent scholarship to Visible Music College. Philip Hale has chosen to serve his country by enlisting in the United States Coast Guard and will pursue follow-on programs during his time.

In commenting on the value of an education at Westminster, Headmaster Ralph Janikowsky noted that most students came out well ahead of the cost of their high school tuition, but he went on to add, “What is the spiritual and eternal value of Christ-centered education at Westminster Academy?  That friends, is priceless!”