Kayla Wilson wins $40,000 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship

Special to Leader-Press

 

Kayla Wilson, salutatorian of the Copperas Cove High School class of 2016, was named among 20 students who were awarded the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship, from The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute and GE.

 

Wilson and the other 19 students were selected from among nearly 13,000 who applied across the United States.

 

Each student will receive $10,000 a year, for up to four years, to be applied to student tuition and on-campus room and board while the recipient is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an accredited U.S. college or university.

 

This scholarship program, which just completed its sixth year, awards students who embody the vision and values personified by President Ronald Reagan, including leadership, drive, integrity and citizenship.

 

Growing up in a military town taught Kayla the importance of service and sacrifice. Kayla has a particular heart for poverty, homelessness, and veterans issues. As secretary of her DECA chapter she arranged for backpacks of food to be distributed to needy students for the weekend. She volunteered at Cove House, which works to provide homes, medical care, and food to the homeless population in her community.

 

She was vice president of her class and held offices within student council, the National Honor Society, and the school spirit committee. An athlete, Kayla excelled in cross country, track and field, and soccer. Kayla plans to study biology at Baylor University in the fall.

 

“This year’s applicants and scholarship recipients are a remarkable group of young adults,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “These extraordinary young leaders are determined and inspiring – with a strong dedication to their communities. We are proud to award college scholarships in President Reagan’s name to these future leaders of tomorrow.”

 

GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, “Congratulations to the recipients of the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship. These are young leaders who are making a difference in their communities. We are proud to support them as they enter the next chapter of their academic journey.”

 

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. It sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Reagan Institute, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center and The Air Force One Pavilion. Located in Simi Valley, California the Library houses 63 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It now also serves as the final resting place of President and Mrs. Reagan. www.reaganfoundation.org