The OURA Scholarship Committee and the OU Scholarship Office are pleased to announce the selection of junior Chemical Engineering major Lauren Williams of Warr Acres and junior Chemistry major JaLynn Yoakum of Hinton as recipients of the University of Oklahoma Retirees Association Endowed Scholarship for 2023. - Lauren was born in Oklahoma and raised as a Sooner fan from birth. She grew up playing basketball and running cross country, and has always enjoyed her science and math classes, leading her to major in Chemical Engineering at OU. She works part-time at IMMY as a quality-control technician, performing product testing and calibrating equipment. She describes herself as eager to learn and wanting to do "something that will have a positive impact on people all over the world" with her degree. "Thank you so much for providing me with this scholarship for the upcoming school year," she writes to the OURA. "It has come with great relief to me and my family. I am paying for all my own expenses and work part-time to be able to afford everything. I am very excited to get my degree in chemical engineering, and this scholarship has allowed me to worry less about how I am going to pay for school. I can spend more time on my studies and less time working to be able to afford tuition. I am very grateful for this scholarship and am looking forward to completing my degree at the University of Oklahoma." - JaLynn is a first-generation student from Hinton OK, now beginning his junior year at OU and majoring in Chemistry. Currently he is working as an undergraduate TA for the General Chemistry 2 course, teaching students lab techniques and guiding them through experiments. He serves as the Executive Vice Chair for Miracle Mindset, a free college access program that provides first-generation or low-income high school students with the resources they need to apply to and succeed in college. He also serves as a Burr Scholar for the President's Leadership Class, providing mentorship to freshman leaders. His career goals are to study water quality management and work on bringing safe drinking water to underprivileged communities. "Because of the OURA Scholarship award," JaLynn writes, "I have been able to work less outside of school, lightening my workload. This has allowed me to shift my focus towards acing my classes, as well as providing me more time to build relationships with my mentors and peers. I am extremely grateful for the financial support. Thank you so much for this scholarship!"
OU Retirees Association Scholarship
In 2013, the OURA established an academic scholarship to be awarded to one or more deserving students each year. By late December 2017, donations from Association members, officers, and committee chairs, with the invaluable help of a matching challenge contribution by former OURA President Grettie Bondy, had surpassed the $10,000 mark, allowing the OURA to establish in January 2018 the University of Oklahoma Retirees Association Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Oklahoma Foundation. From this point forward, the annual interest earned by the Endowed Fund will be used to underwrite each year's Scholarship award to a worthy OU undergraduate. Also from this point forward, we will refer to the award officially as the OURA / Grettie Bondy Endowed Scholarship, honoring not only Grettie for her generosity and service but also her mother and family for inspiring her lifelong support of education.
Although the OURA Scholarship Fund is now securely established as a Permanent Endowment, the Fund's Principal Account needs additional donations in order to ensure its ability to generate sufficient annual interest and support at least one scholarship each academic year. Fully tax-deductible contributions in any amount are gratefully accepted at any time and may be made in either of two ways: online by credit/debit card at https://giving.oufoundation.org/OnlineGivingWeb/Giving/OnlineGiving/OURetireeSchol, or by check made payable to the OU Foundation (with the memo line indicating that your gift is to be applied toward the OURA Endowed Scholarship Fund #42197) and mailed to: Treasurer, OU Retirees Association / 201 E. Lindsey / Norman OK 73019. Also, retirees who participate in each year's Campus Campaign may designate the OURA Endowed Scholarship Fund #42197 as the beneficiary of their contributions. Thank you for your support.
Scholarship Recipients 2013-Present
2013 Theresa Ashley, Oklahoma City, Senior, International Studies & Spanish
2014 Sarah Brimmer, Tulsa, Junior, Visual Communications
2015 Macee Beheler, Blanchard, Junior, Broadcast Journalism
2016 Phillip Swart, Edmond, Senior, Letters & Environmental Studies
2017 Joshua Hughes, Eufaula, Junior, Aerospace Engineering & Microbiology
2018 Kara Brown, Senior, Psychology & Sociology
2019 Davis Mitchell, Broken Arrow, Senior, Finance & International Business
2020 Emily Tanner, Enid, Junior, Advertising
2021 Adriana Gonzales-Vega, Yukon, Senior, Electrical Engineering
2022 Hayleigh Briann Carrillo, Oklahoma City, Sophomore, Biology/Pre-Med
2023 Lauren Williams, Warr Acres, Junior, Chemical Engineering
2023 JaLynn Yoakum, Hinton, Junior, Chemistry
2023 OURA Scholarship Winners Named
