Union Graduate Awarded MLK, Jr. Scholarship
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Society awarded $11,000 in scholarships to three Tulsa-area students enrolled in post-secondary educational institutions for the 2021-22 academic year.
“We continue to award scholarships to outstanding students, and this year’s recipients truly are the realization of Dr. King’s dream,” said Pleas Thompson, president of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Society. “We are extremely proud of the three young people who were awarded scholarships this year. All have big dreams for the future and have shown great discernment and maturity in interpreting the relevance of Dr. King’s legacy for today.”
The scholarships were awarded as follows:
Servant Leader: Garrett Bland, a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, attending Tennessee State University in Nashville, and majoring in broadcast journalism/ mass communications. He has participated for many years in Tulsa’s MLK Parade and Commemorative Service, having sung the Black National Anthem in 2013. He has served as a volunteer for many years and in 2019 won first place in the organization’s “Interpretive Dance of Peace” contest. $5,000.
Change Maker: Temiloluwa Ogunade, Norman High School (Norman, Okla.), attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, majoring in psychology/pre-medicine.
With this scholarship, Temi said she would like to realize her goal of seeing “more black and brown faces in psychiatry and therapy.” $3,500.”
Mountain of Hope: Mikayla Wallace, Union High School, attending the University of Oklahoma, majoring in political science. Mikayla said she has a heart for social justice, which she would like to achieve through philanthropy and education. $2,500.
Applicants were evaluated and selected by an independent panel based on the following criteria:
Academic Achievement: based on the student’s official transcript and grade point average;
Leadership & Accomplishments: participation in extracurricular activities, honors and awards; Work/Volunteer experience; Community Involvement; and Essay (350-750 words) related to the student’s perceptions of Dr. King’s legacy.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Society, Inc. is a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization focused on honoring and preserving the works and ideals that Dr. King practiced.
The society has provided programming, leadership development, civic engagement and opportunities for artistic expression involving more than 20,000 boys and girls in Tulsa County and the surrounding area since it was founded in 1978. The Society has awarded $102,000 in scholarships over the past three decades to local high school graduates aspiring to achieve Dr. King’s dream.
For more information, visit www.mlktulsa.com, call 918-492-9495 or email at mlktulsa@gmail.com.
