02 June 2008
Eight scholarships totaling up to $200,000 will be presented to openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender high school students at the fifth annual Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner, Friday, June 6, 2008, at 7:45 p.m. at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines (Reception begins at 5:30 PM, Dinner at 6:45 PM, Program at 7:45 PM).
Five Iowa high school graduates, Michelle Bamber of Cedar Falls, Swarnima Chaudhary of Iowa City, Corey Cox of Burlington, Briana McGeough of Cedar Falls and Kaitlin Walker of Adel will receive Gold Matthew Shepard Scholarships worth approximately $35,000 each. Three others, Aaron Jennings of Des Moines, Brent Kennedy of Cedar Rapids and Ben Schnurr of Johnston will receive Silver Matthew Shepard Scholarships worth up to $7,000 each.
Iowa Board of Regents President David Miles will present the keynote address. Miles is Managing Director of The Miles Group, a family investment business, and served as Chief Executive Officer of Countryside Renewable Energy, Inc. Spokesman Mike Pace will emcee the evening and members of the Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus will present a special musical performance.
The Matthew Shepard Scholarship is named in memory of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming college student brutally murdered ten years ago. He was kidnapped, savagely beaten and left to die tied to a fence, because he was gay. The Scholarship honors openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Iowa high school students who work to promote tolerance and non-discrimination in their schools and communities.
The Matthew Shepard Scholarship Awards Dinner is open to the press, and interviews with scholarship recipients may be scheduled by calling 515/473-0002 or 515/262-0000.