This group of remarkable students includes recipients of the Texas Tech Presidential Scholarship, a recognition awarded to incoming first-year and transfer students who have been admitted to Texas Tech and who demonstrate excellent academic ability.
The College of Media & Communication boasts many gifted students. It's also home to an ever-increasing number of exceptional students – especially in the realm of academic achievements. This group of remarkable students includes recipients of the Texas Tech Presidential Scholarship, a recognition awarded to incoming first-year and transfer students who have been admitted to Texas Tech and who demonstrate excellent academic ability.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, Texas Tech University awarded the highest number of Presidential Scholarships in the school's history, and several of these awardees continue their academic pursuit of excellence in the College of Media & Communication this year. The college has a total of 127 Presidential Scholars enrolled this semester.
Todd Chambers, Ph.D., CoMC's associate dean for undergraduate affairs, has seen the benefits of the Presidential Scholarship program, both as a faculty member and as a parent, and noted that Texas Tech is determined to make college affordable for high-performing students.
“The Presidential Scholarship program has grown exponentially. They've awarded more money than ever before, and they're going to keep doing that,” said Chambers. “What it boils down to is that Texas Tech University's Scholarship Office is committed to helping students.”
Raven Nelson, a senior creative media industries major from Austin and seasoned Presidential Scholar, is now in her fourth year at CoMC. She cites her scholarship as a notable achievement and an important financial resource that allows her to focus on her studies and on her future aspirations.
“I feel a sense of pride knowing that I earned this scholarship through hours of hard work,” Nelson said. “It gives me peace of mind, knowing that I will consistently receive this financial aid so long as I continue to keep up my work ethic, and I will be able to pursue the more fun careers I am genuinely interested in, rather than chasing money to pay off student loans.”
Another Presidential Scholar and CoMC student is Lauren Kriss, a senior public relations major from Austin. She feels that her scholarship is the result of her dedication and hard work, but she believes that her tenacious academic drive is of the utmost importance. Kriss said that while academic excellence is significant, learning should always be the top priority.
“I focus on learning as much as I can and doing work that I'm proud of, and then the numbers, grades, and scores tend to fall into place after that,” Kriss said. “I would say that everyone's primary goal should be to learn and develop as a person, and the scholarships and awards will follow.”
Traveling on a slightly different academic path, transfer student Lea Maric, a senior media strategies major from Dallas, was awarded her Presidential Transfer Merit Scholarship in recognition of her excellent performance at the community college she attended previously. Her decision to become a transfer Red Raider was largely due to this prestigious academic honor.
“Originally, I was going to go to a different school which did not have that great of a transfer scholarship,” Maric said. “[However,] once I decided on Tech and saw the awesome scholarship opportunity, I was even more inclined to attend.”
The CoMC is proud to be called a home for these high-achieving undergraduate scholars who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and commitment to their ongoing pursuit of academic excellence.
Presidential Scholarships are awarded to first-year students who demonstrate exceptional ability through superior test scores and class ranking. The scholarship is renewable for up to four consecutive years (or eight total terms). Presidential Transfer Scholarships are renewable for up to two consecutive years (or four total terms), and recipients must enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours.