NRCCUA - National Research Center for College & University Admissions

NRCCUA NEWS!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 05/24/2005

NRCCUA and NAIA Announce First Champions of Character Scholarship Winners

(Olathe, KS)—The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Research Center for College and University Admissions (NRCCUA) are pleased to announce five Champions of Character scholarship winners for 2005.

This is the first year that NRCCUA has partnered with the NAIA to provide Champions of Character scholarships to graduating high school seniors who will be attending NAIA institutions this fall. Award winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship toward their education.

Scholarship winners were selected based upon how well they model the NAIA’s Champions of Character five core values in competition and in their daily lives. These core values are respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

Listed below are this year’s NAIA-NRCCUA Champions of Character Scholarship Winners:

Lauren Akkerman from Ashland, Ohio. Lauren is a graduate of Ashland High School and will attend Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.
Aric Cherry from Meriden, Kan. Aric is a graduate of Jefferson West High School and will attend Southwestern College in Winfield, KS.
Katie Dugan from Kansas City, Mo. Katie is a graduate of Oak Park High School and will attend Avila University in Kansas City.
Melissa Gardner from Lee’s Summit, Mo. Melissa is a graduate of Lee’s Summit North High School and will attend Park University in Parkville, Mo.
Jenna Plewes from Zeeland, Mich. Jenna is a graduate of Zeeland East High School and will attend Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"We believe this is a great way to show incoming students to NAIA member institutions that we value them for the character they have already modeled,” said Rob Miller, NAIA Director of Champions of Character Initiatives and the chair of the selection committee. “It’s also a credit to our members that they are recruiting students that set such high standards."

“This scholarship honor is both a tribute and a reward to the seniors for how they have lived their lives and the character values they possess,” said Larry Erenberger, NRCCUA Vice President for National Projects. “NRCCUA is proud to support young people with the core values of a Champion of Character.”

For more information regarding the scholarship and the NAIA’s Champions of Character initiative, please visit the NAIA website at www.naia.org. For more information on the NRCCUA, visit their website at www.nrccua.org.

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The National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) is a non-profit educational research organization based in Lee’s Summit, Mo. For over 30 years, NRCCUA has conducted the largest nationwide survey of high school students, which serves as a communications link between college-bound high school students and public and private colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.nrccua.org.