Idaho State University goes on the road to award scholarships to three Independence High School students  

The Road Scholarship project was born in 2017 after the Dean of ISU’s College of Arts and Letters, Kandi Turley-Ames, saw a need to encourage more local high school students to consider attending ISU. Turley-Ames traveled to various schools in southeastern Idaho to award 14 scholarships in 2017, for a total of $28,000, to students who planned to focus their studies in programs within the College of Arts and Letters. Turley-Ames explains that the Road Scholarship provided a much needed stepping stone for these students, and by the time these 14 students began their first semester, they had applied for, and received, over $120,000 in ISU scholarships.

As Turley-Ames began to receive applications for the 2018 Road Scholarships, she realized there was a need for students in other ISU departments as well.

“We didn’t want to turn people away because of their major, so we contacted our colleagues in other departments, such as technology, science and engineering, nursing and dental hygiene, to help provide scholarships for students interested in those fields of study,” she said.

The shift to other departments isn’t the only change to the Road Scholarship recipients for 2018. This year marks the first year that multiple students from alternative high schools are being awarded Road Scholarships.

Katelyn Peterson, currently a junior at Blackfoot’s Independence High School, aspires to become a dental hygienist and eventually a dental surgeon. She will receive $500 per semester in her first year at ISU.

Jacque Freudenthal, associate professor and dental hygiene department chair, said, “The Department of Dental Hygiene is dedicated to supporting students to reach their potential and I am pleased to offer Katelyn a scholarship to assist her in obtaining her professional goals.  She has worked hard for her scholastic achievements and with financial support she will be able to focus on her education and success at ISU.”

Amity Mullins and Kallie Thomas, also juniors at Independence, hope to become nurses, and will receive the same funding as they begin their education in nursing at ISU.

“Nursing needs students from all walks of life, and having the opportunity to recognize these two students for their interest in choosing nursing as their future careers can be a life-changing event for them,” said Nancy Renn, interim dean for the School of Nursing. “When it comes time for these students to graduate and make application to the university, the School of Nursing is planning to work closely with them as they enter into their college education.  Their success depends on the connections they make within the School of Nursing and all other programs on campus.”

All three, who will graduate high school as juniors, come to ISU with a unique set of circumstances. Megan Farrish, the first Road Scholar participant from an alternative school and the first from Independence High School, is keenly aware of some of those circumstances. Farrish said, “I definitely wouldn’t have been able to attend ISU without my scholarship. The money, and the direction I received to help guide me, came directly from this scholarship.”

Farrish is currently working for Turley-Ames in the College of Arts and Letters and plans to graduate in 2020.    

For more information about the Road Scholarship and how to nominate a high school student, contact Holly Kartchner at (208) 282-5362 or kartholl@isu.edu.