Business Graduate and Physical Therapy Major Receive Honor

CAPTION: Columbia State Community College students Kristin Sharp and Shelby Dial were awarded the Lady Bird Johnson Scholarship. The Scholarship was named for former First Lady, Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson, who dedicated the Columbia Campus in 1967. Pictured from left to right are Jennifer Grisham (creator of the "Lady Bird" Johnson bust shown in the photo), alumna friend of the college Pat Selle, scholarship recipient Kristin Sharp, scholarship recipient Shelby Dial, current Columbia State President, Dr. Janet F. Smith, and former Columbia State President, Dr. O. Rebecca Hawkins. Funds for the scholarship were derived from private donations, stemming from a campaign led by Selle and Hawkins.

Columbia State Community College students Kristin Sharp and Shelby Dial were awarded the Lady Bird Johnson Scholarship. Funds for the scholarship were derived from private donations, stemming from a campaign led by alumna and friend of the college Pat Selle and former Columbia State President Dr. O. Rebecca Hawkins.

"I am pleased to know that two such deserving young women have been awarded the Lady Bird Johnson scholarships. The original intent of the fund raising campaign was to develop funds to design and create the Lady Bird Johnson bronze sculpture located in the college's Administration Building," said Hawkins. "Resulting from the enthusiastic work of Ms. Selle and the generosity of project donors, funds raised adequately covered the sculpture costs and enabled the college to establish two Lady Bird Johnson scholarships."

"I was very excited," said Sharp, a Columbia resident. "I didn't realize that only two girls received it and I was very excited to be one of the two. I am going to MTSU in the fall and the scholarship helped me to save money to use there. It's great."

Dial, a Lewisburg resident, agreed that receiving the scholarship helped to reduce the stress of paying for classes.

"I was excited and relieved at the same time because I knew it would make it easier on me for this semester," said the Columbia State freshmen. "I was able to focus more on my school work and not on how I was going to pay for my classes."

Sharp, now a recent graduate of Columbia State with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business, will begin the fall 2010 semester at Middle Tennessee State University. She will pursue a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Dial, a Physical Therapy major, plans to transfer to Belmont University after she completes her studies at Columbia State. She plans to pursue a Doctorate degree.

The scholarship was named for former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson who officially dedicated Columbia State's Columbia Campus in 1967. She was accompanied by her husband, former President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson.

Lady Bird declared Columbia State to be the "new beat and rhythm of our land" and said that "when a community college rises from a once empty field, the country expands not outward, but upward… I am honored to dedicate this college-dedicate it forever to the service of the people and the progress of our nation."

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.