Two UK Students Awarded BIACS Scholarships
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 13, 2016) — Two incoming University of Kentucky students received scholarships at the Bluegrass Indo-American Civic Society (BIACS) 29th Annual Awards Banquet last month for their impressive high school achievements.
BIACS is a nonprofit civic organization made up of Indo-American residents living across the Bluegrass state. For the past 28 years BIACS has awarded scholarships to over 200 graduating high school seniors. This year, UK students Alexis Nichole Morris and Jared Tate Greene are among the 17 total scholarship recipients.
Morris, a National Honor Society member for two years, recently graduated from Morgan County High School. Morris was not only an NHS member but president of EdRising for three years, secretary of Art Club for one year, and editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook.
Morris will start at UK this fall and plans to study biology.
"I instantly fell in love with the campus,” Morris said about her first visit to UK. “I love Lexington and coming out here and going to Keeneland and everything. It’s the feel of this city and it feels like home. I realized this is where I wanted to be.”
Greene recently graduated from Prestonsburg High School. While earning his diploma, Greene was a member of the Academic Team and a captain for one year, the 2015 Governor's Scholars Program, and a starting football player for three years.
Greene will be attending UK in the fall and plans to go into the pharmaceutical industry.
"My grandfather graduated from the UK College of Pharmacy in 1963, so I’ve grown up around the pharmaceutical industry and it’s something that I love and something I’ve always wanted to go into," Greene said.
Both recipients received a trophy and $1000 as part of their scholarship.
In addition to the award recipients, the banquet on May 1 featured chief guest and award presenter Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, and keynote speaker Diane Snow, professor of neuroscience and director of the Honors Program and Undergraduate Research at UK.
“As I addressed this group of students on the importance of tenacity for their future success, I was taken back to my own high school graduation," said Snow. "It was a time when everything seemed so enormous and there was so much uncertainty. Because of this, I was so happy to have the opportunity to encourage, support, and celebrate these accomplished young people. The feedback I got was remarkable - I know I was supposed to inspire them, but it was definitely a two-way street! I congratulate all of the students -- especially UK-bound students, Alexis and Jared -- and wish them well!"
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jenny Wells, 859-257-5343; jenny.wells@uky.edu