The Ballard-McConnell-Willis Mathematics Scholarships are made possible through a trust fund established in 1983 by Mr. John W. Ballard. Every year a selection committee seeks to identify three new recipients: one senior, one junior, and one sophomore who satisfy the criteria laid out in Mr Ballard’s will. These scholarships are continued for each recipient through their remaining years of attendance at Berea, up to the fourth year, as long as the recipient continues to satisfy the scholarship criteria.
The Ballard-McConnell-Willis Mathematics Scholarship is awarded to one senior, one junior, and one sophomore mathematics major at Berea College who are:
- In the upper 10% of class
- With excellent scholarship
- Having upright moral character
- Demonstrating potential for accomplishment
- With ability to instill in others an appreciation for mathematics
Financial support is provided through this scholarship in the hopes that the recipient’s educational experience will be enriched in ways that would not have been possible otherwise. Foreign study or other-cultural educational experiences are especially encouraged. Other examples of uses for these funds include:
- Travel to professional meetings or prospective graduate schools
- Purchases of computer hardware and software relevant to mathematics
- Costs for mathematical research
- Cost of personal mathematics books and/or subscriptions to mathematical journals
Each year, the family of John Ballard visits the College and the department to meet and talk with the students and the faculty, so Virginia Willis and her daughter Ann Sebrell are annual visitors to Berea College.
From Left: Sarah Douthitt, Dr. Judy Rector, Ann Sebrell, Huy Nguyen, Dr. Ralph Stinebrickner
Huy A Nguyen, one of the recipients of the BMW Scholarship, has written a “manual” for scholarship recipients.