The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo recently recognized the achievements of 94 current junior and senior Show Scholars by presenting them with a $4,000 scholarship bonus, per eligible semester, for a total commitment of $1.2 million.
The 2017 achievement scholars represent eight of the Show’s 11 scholarship programs, including 4-H, Area Go Texan, Exhibitor, FFA, Hildebrand, Metropolitan, Opportunity and School Art.
“When a student receives a scholarship from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, he or she becomes part of our family,” said Joel Cowley, Show president and CEO. “Our achievement scholars are at the pinnacle of their college career and we are proud to recognize their academic successes and support them as they complete their educational journey.”
Currently enrolled in 23 Texas colleges and universities, the top majors among the achievement scholars are animal science, nursing, biochemistry, biology, business, economics and petroleum engineering. Twenty-four percent of these students are the first in their family to attend college.
To apply, existing Show scholars must have been classified as a junior or senior by the conclusion of the 2017 spring semester; completed a minimum of four college semesters since their high school graduation; and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The Achievement Scholarship program provides Show Scholars with the opportunity to receive a maximum of $36,000 from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in scholarship funding throughout their college career. Since 2013, 491 students have received more than $6 million in additional scholarship funding from the Show.
In 2017, more than 750 scholarships were awarded to Texas youth for a Show total commitment over the summer of nearly $14.3 million. These scholarships represent a portion of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s annual commitment of more than $26 million to scholarships, research, endowments, calf scramble participants, junior show exhibitors, School Art participants and other educational programs. For more information on the Show’s educational support, visit rodeohouston.com/Educational-Support/Commitment.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is a Section 501(c)(3) charity that benefits youth, supports education, and facilitates better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Since its beginning in 1932, the Show has committed more than $430 million to the youth of Texas. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com and connect with #RODEOHOUSTON online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for all of the latest news. The 2018 Show is scheduled for Feb. 27 – March 18.