Freshman Jordan Downing

Freshman Jordan Downing always knew he would attend college. What he didn't know was how he would fund his dream of becoming a teacher. Paying off a student loan after graduation and working while attending college seemed likely choices. After all, he was accustomed to working, participating in extracurricular activities and playing sports while in high school. Yet he grappled with the idea of the burden of student debt.

Jordan wanted to start out on the right note, so he worked on a plan with his parents and researched other funding opportunities. That is when he applied for and received the Sally Gearhart Strottman Memorial Scholarship. Jordan's elementary education major, along with his excellent grades and extracurricular activities, made him a perfect match.

"This award has relieved much stress in the Downing household," Jordan says. "It has made my education affordable."