Public Relations

Drury University, Edward Jones Announce
Minority Scholarship Program for Fall 2008

Contact:

Holly Guerreiro

Director, Media Relations

Drury University, (417) 300-0905 or (417) 873-7390

E-mail: hguerreiro@drury.edu

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 30, 2007 — Drury University, Springfield, Mo., and Edward Jones, the St. Louis-based financial services firm, announced a new scholarship program for minority students at a news conference in Bentonville, Ark., today.

The Edward Jones Minority Scholarship Program at Drury University will provide annually renewable awards of $10,000 to minority candidates who are U.S. citizens. Scholarship winners are also eligible to receive an additional $7,500 annually in Drury merit-based aid, bringing the total award to $17,500 annually.

Responding on behalf of the educational community, Dr. Janie Darr, superintendent of Rogers Public Schools, praised the new initiative. In a note sent to Drury, Dr. Darr wrote: “In the Rogers Public Schools, our teachers truly live to give children wings, and that is what you are doing today. Thank you to Drury and to Edward Jones for helping more of our children make their dreams a reality.”

Interested candidates must be admissible to Drury University and will be selected through a competitive application process. Ten awards will be granted annually beginning in the fall of 2008.

Applications will be accepted from across the nation, but priority will be given to applicants from southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas.

“Drury University has a historic commitment to the education of all people, and this partnership with Edward Jones allows us to provide traditionally underserved students with an outstanding educational experience,” said Drury Interim President Todd Parnell.

While enrolled at Drury, Edward Jones scholars will have opportunities to interact with business leaders at both the national and local level through Drury’s Edward Jones Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. John and Crystal Beuerlein partnered with Edward Jones in donating $2 million to establish the center at Drury University in 2006. Scholars also will participate in activities with Edward Jones such as sales training, internships and interview opportunities with corporate senior staff upon completion of their degree programs.

“An entrepreneurial spirit is needed to be a successful financial advisor with Edward Jones. Therefore, we are committed to ensuring that minority students have the education and the training needed to pursue this type of career by creating the Edward Jones Minority Scholarship,” said Emily Pitts, principal for inclusion and diversity at Edward Jones.

Interested candidates should contact Drury’s Office of Admission at (417) 873-7205 or (800) 922-2274 or visit www.drury.edu. Deadline for application for fall 2008 awards is Jan. 15.

Drury University has taken the lead among private universities in the Midwest in truly integrating a liberal arts education with comprehensive professional programs. At Drury, the power of intensive faculty and staff mentoring in small-class settings creates an atmosphere of high academic expectation grounded in a supportive learning community, an ideal combination which produces leaders ready to serve in a global community. For more information, visit www.drury.edu.

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm's 10,000 financial advisors work directly with more than 7 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long term investment strategies that emphasizes a well-balanced portfolio. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today. Edward Jones is headquartered in St. Louis. The firm's interactive Web site is www.edwardjones.com.

Pictured above: NWACC President Dr. Becky Paneitz listens as Jack Shewmaker makes a point about the impact on higher education from Drury's new scholarship program.

For questions/comments on this content, please contact jhall@nwacc.edu

This page was last updated on:  December 21, 2009 @ 8:51 am