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Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarship awarded to Alvord High senior

Alvord High School senior Bella Campbell walked into the library prepared for an upcoming band meeting. However, she was instead greeted by friends, family and Chancellor Carine Feyten of Texas Woman’s University. Feyten awarded the star student with the Chancellor’s Endowed Scholarship to award Campbell’s excellence in high school.

“She has set the bar exceedingly high for academics, extracurricular activities and community service, and we are proud to have you join our university community,” Feyten said as she announced the award to Campbell.

The scholarship, estimated to value around $52,000, is among the university’s most prestigious and is reserved for just one outstanding student per year. The scholarship also includes a mentorship with the chancellor herself. 

“I always had people supporting me and encouraging me to be involved, and I love helping people and being the voice for people who are too scared to talk,” Campbell said. “I’ve always liked being a leader who cares about people.”

Campbell is no stranger to success, as she serves as president of her school’s senior class, student council, national honor society and FCCLA organization as well as being a drum major for the last three years. She has also been named to the all-region band and all-star cast in the UIL’s One Act Play competition. She has volunteered at Grace Fellowship Church, Alvord Public Library’s summer reading program and tutored kids at her high school.

“[Teaching] is just kind of always been something I’ve enjoyed doing,” Campbell said. “It’s always been a part of me, so I might as well pursue a career in it.”

Also in attendance was Dean of Professional Education at TWU Dr. Lisa Huffman, who said that it was such an encouraging sign to see such a promising student pursue teaching amongst a nationwide teacher shortage.

“[Teaching] is the creator of all other professions,” Huffman said. “To have such an outstanding student see the value in giving back, she’s giving back to the teachers that she’s had.”

Campbell recounted her experiences playing school with her brother, where she was always the teacher. For Campbell, being a teacher is no longer a dream, but a soon-to-be reality.

During her time at TWU studying education, she hopes to be involved in the university’s band, student government association and community service. She also hopes to continue her passion for filmmaking and meet new people. 

“I’m excited to meet new people with different perspectives, because I am from a small town,” Campbell said. “I’m excited to expand my knowledge a bit and learn about different people and different cultures.”

For Campbell, she was not expecting to receive a scholarship of this magnitude, and the scholarship has motivated her to continue bettering the community and helping others without the worries of student loan debt, she said.

“I did not see this coming,” said Campbell’s father Joshua Campbell. “We were wondering how we were going to pay for college. Now we don’t have to.”

Campbell sets her goals as of now to maintain finishing her senior year, but she is looking forward to the college experience, she said.

Maddie Ray can be reached via email at mray10@twu.edu.

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