Chitwood, Johnson, Steinman Endowment scholarship awarded

Saige Lynette Long has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Chitwood, Johnson, Steinman Endowment Scholarship Fund. - Submitted photo
Saige Lynette Long has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Chitwood, Johnson, Steinman Endowment Scholarship Fund. - Submitted photo

Beau Britton, Grant Committee chairman of the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, recently announced that Saige Lynette Long has been selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Chitwood, Johnson, Steinman Endowment fund.

The fund was established in 1997 by Joseph Russell Chitwood, a longtime Hot Springs resident, former postal worker, and history enthusiast. Following his death, his heirs continued to honor his wishes and either awarded an annual scholarship or given one-half of the allowable spendable funds to the Garland County Historical Society in years when there have been no applicants, according to a news release.

"Since 2002, $22,500 has been awarded due to Mr. Chitwood's generosity and desire to establish the perpetual fund," it said.

To be chosen for the scholarship award, the student must be a graduating senior in Garland County who plans to major in social sciences or a related field and will attend an accredited college or university. The student selected must have a high school GPA of 3.00 or above, show financial need, community leadership and the potential to succeed in college.

The single $1,000 scholarship was awarded this year. Long will graduate from Fountain Lake Charter High School in the top 17% of her class with a 3.76 GPA, and will be attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the fall, majoring in social work.

"Her long-term goal is to work with children in environments with different forms of physical and mental abuse, substance abuse, neglect, and mental illness. Saige stated in her required essay, 'I feel there is no better way to give hope to children than to show them. The empathy that I am able to have with these children, because I was once one of them, is amassing. My education is going to be used to help others and create more healthy and comfortable environments.' While in high school, Saige has worked part-time after school to help support her family financially, has participated in band activities, qualifying for All-Region, All-State and All-Star Band awards, was also in Beta Club, and assisted and starred in school plays and musical productions," the release said.

The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation, helps families, companies and individuals set up scholarship funds to benefit Arkansas students seeking higher education. Community Foundation donors partner with the community foundation to create private scholarship funds because they deeply care about Arkansas's students and want to invest in their education, it said.

The donors determine the size and eligibility criteria for the scholarship they create. Currently over 700 scholarships are managed by the Arkansas Community Foundation on their behalf.

For more information, email Joyce Whitfield, executive director, at [email protected] or call 501-372-1007.

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