Four outstanding high school students were recently awarded with full tuition scholarships after winning the third annual Central Scholars competition at Central Methodist University. Grayson Miller of Edina and Javan Smoot of Cairo were named Eagle Select scholarship winners, while Boila-Vania Kostov of Bulgaria was selected as the Pre-Health Scholar, and Hannah Keiser of Keytesville was the winner of the Valedictorian Scholarship.
“Central Scholars continues its exceptional record of attracting high-achieving academic students to compete for full tuition scholarships. This year’s participants have an average GPA of 3.8,” said Dr. Melissa Mace, vice president for enrollment management. “The resumes, essays, and interviews of these participants simply amaze me, and I am so proud they want to make CMU their college home.”
To be eligible for the Central Scholars competition, students needed to meet a high school GPA minimum of 3.5 and apply to participate. Each participant submitted an essay and resume and was interviewed by a panel of alumni, faculty, and staff.
Following the scholarship competition in February, the winners were surprised at their schools by CMU staff, in front of their classmates and families.
Grayson Miller, an Eagle Select scholarship recipient, plans to major in business administration and participate in track & field while at Central. He says he enjoyed the experience of competing in Central Scholars and is relieved to know his hard work in high school has paid off.
“I think that these last four years have taught me what commitment and involvement can do for you,” said Miller. “’Grateful’ doesn’t really describe it, but that’s the word I’d use. It’s honestly a big sigh of relief [to receive the full-tuition scholarship.]”
Also receiving the Eagle Select scholarship for full tuition was Javan Smoot, who plans to major in music education and participate in as many band and choir organizations as possible while on campus. Already an assistant director for the seventh-grade band at his school, Smoot is looking forward to learning more about music and directing from the Swinney Conservatory faculty.
“I think the thing that excites me most about going to Central Methodist is the faculty and staff,” said Smoot, who noted that he’s already received meaningful help from CMU’s Dr. John Perkins on his trumpet performance. “I think the unique way they can shape my experience is the most exciting thing.”
This year’s Pre-Health Scholarship winner is Bulgarian international student Boila-Vania Dimitrova Kostov, who attends Gateway Legacy Christian Academy in Florissant. Kostov hopes to play basketball for the Eagle women’s team while earning a degree as a pre-med major.
“What excites me the most about continuing my education [at Central] is the fact that I get to get closer to my dream of becoming a doctor,” she said. “I really want to be able to help people. I’ve had a lot of experience with hospital visits and doctors in general, so I really want to be able to help them and to help people.”
Rounding out the full-tuition winners from the Central Scholars competition is Valedictorian Scholarship recipient Hannah Keiser, who plans to major in exercise science. A participant in numerous student organizations at Keytesville High School, Keiser was able to use her previous experience to help alleviate some of the nerves of competing in such an important event.
“I was nervous during the interview [on Central Scholars Day], but I’d done a couple of interviews before for FFA offices, so I kind of knew what to expect,” said Keiser, who also noted that she is looking forward to attending a college similar to her high school in class size.
For more on Central Scholars and all the many scholarship opportunities at Central Methodist, visit https://www.centralmethodist.edu/admissions/financial-aid/scholarships.html. Contact the office of admission at 660-248-6251 or admissions@centralmethodist.edu for more on how to apply to Central.