COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 24, 2003) – Tennessee Tech University’s prestigious Jere Whitson Memorial Scholarship was awarded this year to Alese Grey Parks, an agriculture major from Fayetteville.

The scholarship is awarded annually to the top incoming freshman at TTU. The selection is made by the descendants of the Jere Whitson family and is based on the student’s academic achievement in high school and on college entrance examination scores.

The scholarship was created in 1975 by the family of the late Jere Whitson, a founder of TTU’s predecessor, Dixie College, and an advocate for the creation of TTU.

“The university and the Whitson family were both very impressed with Parks,” said Jim Gray, assistant director of admissions at TTU. “You just don’t find many students who have the time-management skills to maintain outstanding academic standards while being involved in extracurricular activities and holding down a part-time job.”

Parks is a 2003 graduate of Lincoln County High School. In addition to having worked on a farm, she was an active member of her school’s chapter of Future Farmers of America and took four semesters of agriculture courses.

She was also active in Business Professionals of America, Octagon Club and the Chamber of Commerce Student Advisory Board.

“We are honored to have this top incoming freshman in our program, and we are proud of all of our new students and accept the challenge of providing them all with a first-class education,” said Don Elkins, TTU’s College of Agriculture and Human Ecology dean.

--Tracey LeFevre
This information posted 24 October 2003