Courtnie Higgs Memorial Scholarship

Courtnie Higgs

Courtnie Higgs was a spirited young lady, known for her boisterous laughter and loving heart. She started at Sedan Elementary School in the 4^th grade and continued there through high school. In high school, Courtnie was an avid reader and a prolific writer. On a whim, she could write the most engaging, creative short stories. Courtnie also had a beautiful voice, singing in church and winning talent contests.

However, Courtnie suffered from childhood trauma. From a young age, she was afraid to communicate her needs for fear of ridicule in a small rural town. Because of embarrassment and her lack of understanding about professional support, Courtnie suffered in silence. Like so many others with trauma and mental illness, substance abuse became her only answer to deal with the pain and isolation she felt.

Although Courtnie fought many demons from her mental illness, she refused to be defined by it. She was a very spiritual person who loved God, her family and friends, and especially her children. She also had a passion for helping others. Later in life, Courtnie said she wished she had received support earlier to get well enough to get a job helping others with mental health issues. She was always saying that better understanding and more access to services, especially in school and community settings, could literally turn lives around. Even though she fought bravely, unfortunately, at the age of 27, Courtnie lost her battle with the demons of her mental illness.

This scholarship is established in Courtnie’s memory to bring awareness to the need for more mental health workers in rural communities. It is for seniors graduating from Sedan High School in Sedan, Kansas who are going on to college to study social work.

Award Details:

$250 payable in the first semester

Eligibility Criteria:

Graduating senior from Sedan High School
Planning to major in social work or other field with an emphasis on mental health
Well-written essay, explaining the importance of social work, especially mental health and substance abuse support, in rural communities. Also includes your reasons for interest in this field.

Required Addendums:

Two letters of recommendation – One from a teacher or school counselor, and one from an unrelated community member
First page(s) of FAFSA Submission Summary, up to and including the Student Aid Index number. Refer to FAQs for more information.
Official Sedan High School transcript

Courtnie Higgs Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Application Form

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Student/Applicant Legal Name(Required)

First Middle Last

Student/Applicant Mailing Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Student/Applicant Phone(Required)

Student/Applicant Email(Required)

Please provide an e-mail address that you will continue to use following graduation.

Name of High School(Required)

GPA - unweighted(Required)

Please enter a number from 2.0 to 4.0.

Please list awards, honors, school clubs (including offices held, if applicable), & extracurricular activities.(Required)

Please separate each item with a comma, and provide dates in parentheses. For example: Student Council (2019-2020), Soccer Team (2021-2022), Soccer Team Captain (2020), Band (2019-2020). If none, please write N/A.

Please provide employment history.(Required)

Please separate each job with a comma, and list dates of employment in parentheses. For example, Lawn care (2019-2020), Office Assistant (2020-2021). If you have no employment history please write N/A.

What are your college plans?(Required)

I acknowledge that:(Required)

I must provide an OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT to the BCF prior to the application deadline.

Your OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT should be delivered electronically by your school counselor/administrator or e-transcript service (like Parchment) to scholarship@bartlesvillecf.org. Transcripts may also be mailed by the counselor/administrator or e-transcript service to the Bartlesville Community Foundation office at 208 E. 4th St, Bartlesville, OK 74003. Transcripts should NOT be prepared or printed by the applicant.

I acknowledge that:(Required)

I must have TWO letters of recommendation emailed to the BCF prior to the application deadline.

Letters must be emailed to scholarship@bartlesvillecf.org by the individuals making the recommendation.

Please list the names of the two individuals providing your letters of recommendation.(Required)

One letter should be from a Sedan High School teacher or counselor, and one should be from another unrelated community member. If you do not provide the names of the individuals writing your letters, we may not be able to pair them with your application properly. Letters must be emailed to scholarship@bartlesvillecf.org by the individual making the recommendation.

Essay: Explain the importance of social work, especially mental health and substance abuse support, in rural communities. Include your reasons for interest in this field.(Required)

In 1000 to 1500 words, please explain the importance of social work, especially mental health and substance abuse support, in rural communities. Include your reasons for interest in this field.

FAFSA Submission Summary(Required)

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 16 MB.

Please upload a PDF of your FAFSA Submission Summary. It should include ONLY the first page(s), from your name up to and including the Student Aid Index number. (Refer to FAQs for more information.)

I have verified that:(Required)

my attached FAFSA Submission Summary includes my name and my SAI number.

Are you related to any Bartlesville Community Foundation employees, Board members, or Scholarship Committee members?(Required)

Yes

I don't know

If you answered "yes" above, please list the individual's name and the nature of your relationship.

I understand that:(Required)

this submission, and any required submissions by others, is my responsibility.

You may contact the BCF to verify that all correct materials have been received.

Please type your name(Required)

By typing your name, you are signing to acknowledge that all information provided in this application is true and correct to the best of your knowledge and that you, the student, completed the application and any required addendums/essays. You should understand that the intent of the Bartlesville Community Foundation and the Scholarship Committee to collect and maintain this data, specifically your term grades and transcript, is to determine your eligibility for this scholarship. Your information will be used for no other purposes.

Date(Required)