August 21, 2006

Blair, Gibson win $1,000 teaching scholarships

by K.C. Jaehnig

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Two Randolph County education majors have won scholarships at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Junior Matthew R. Blair of Sparta (13536 Marys Creek Road) and senior April M. Gibson of Tilden (336 N. Minne Ave.) each will receive $1,000 through a program aimed at producing math and science teachers.

Co-sponsored by SIUC’s College of Education and Human Services and its College of Science with funding from the Boeing Foundation, the Teaching Excellence in Mathematics and Science initiative each year presents scholarships to as many as 20 aspiring teachers with grade-point averages of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

“These students represent some of the best and brightest students at SIUC and represent a positive future for our schools,” said project director Trudi L. Volk.

Blair, the son of William P. and Kathleen M. Blair, plans to teach high school mathematics as does Gibson, the daughter of James A. and Penny L. Gibson.

Strengthening the undergraduate scholarship program is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.