Cove student wins one of five MLK scholarships
By WENDY SLEDD
For Copperas Cove High School Senior Mikayla Miller, attending college on a golf scholarship is her goal. But, she is preparing financially in the event that the athletic scholarship she offered is not a full ride.
An advance placement student, Mikayla is no stranger to service. She is active in her community, her church, and her school. A winner of the VFW Post #8577 and Ladies Auxiliary Voice of Democracy contest in the fall where she was given a financial award to apply toward her schooling, Mikayla also captured one of five $1,000 scholarships given by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebratory Committee.
“I was inspired to apply so that I could honor Dr. King’s legacy in a unique way. I hoped that becoming involved with the committee would give me the opportunity to spread Dr. King’s loving and peaceful nature throughout the world around me,” Mikayla said. “When I found out I was one of the scholarship recipients, I felt blessed and honored to have been given the opportunity to represent the committee in my both my academic future and my everyday life.”
Scholarships were given to five students from area high schools ranging from Temple to Copperas Cove, said Scholarship Committee Chairman Clementine Lewis.
“One of the reasons we have the program is to keep young people informed about MLK’s ideas and vision through education and service. We support education through our service of awarding the scholarships,” she said.
The applications were reviewed by a panel of judges who rated and ranked each one and then scores were combined. The application score accounted for 20 percent of the overall score while the interview counted 50 percent.
Lewis said the applicants had to possess some knowledge of the accomplishments and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. in order to be successful in the interview. For Mikayla, that is the main reason she applied for the scholarship.
“As society faces challenges of the modern world, I believe it is important for younger generations to learn about the obstacles Dr. King was able to overcome while staying true to his belief in the power of peace and love,” she said. “Dr. King’s accomplishments helped to pave the road for generations to come, but we can only continue to chase his dream for humanity if we fully understand and appreciate the work that has been done in the past. In order to move forward, we must know from where we are coming, and only by being aware of Dr. King’s journey can we expect to continue this journey into the coming years.”