Published: April 11, 2007 09:56 am            

WO-S grad takes reins of Inspire 12

ORANGE — Orange County native Rebecca Patterson was welcomed Thursday as the executive director of Operations of Inspire 12 during the Kiwanis Club weekly luncheon at Sunset Country Club.

Inspire 12 is a scholarship program benefiting students of West Orange-Stark High School and Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School. Patterson, a 1997 West Orange-Stark graduate, said she was thrilled to accept the new position.

Patterson earned a bachelor’s degree in Promotion/Public Relations from Texas Christian University and resided in the Dallas-Fort Worth area before moving to Phoenix and then to Houston, where she worked for Bath and Body Works as a visual and brand manager.

“Moving back home really wasn’t in my plans, but it had been on my mind for more than a year,” Patterson said. “I finally just put my faith in God and moved back home at the end of February. A week later I got a call from Dr. Marty Rutledge who said he had the perfect job for me. It was an amazing situation.”

Rutledge said he knew Patterson from when she was a child and knew she’d be a great addition to the Inspire 12 team.

“We could not have found a better executive director,” Rutledge said. “She knows the city and community so well. She is already doing such a great job.”

Patterson said she is currently “running everything at this point,” including event planning and working with district administrators, but said the program will really get underway this summer.

“We’re looking to hold a softball and football camp during the summer,” Patterson said. “We also are planning a four-week summer technology camp to help students better their skills in subjects like math, reading and others.”

Patterson said students who maintain an attendance average of 80 percent or better during the technology camp will be eligible for a special prize.

“Their reward will be a free computer at the end of camp,” Patterson said. “This will allow them to continue to learn at home by using a computer they may not normally have had access to before then.”

Patterson said by having students participate in summer programs with other children, they will learn the value of teamwork, being better students in the classroom and citizens in the community.

The Inspire 12 Promise will provide graduates of those two schools with a tuition scholarship which can be used at any accredited Texas public university, community college, public related health institution or technical college. Students graduating in 2007-2008 will be the first class eligible for the scholarships.

“I plan on meeting with each senior student at LC-M and West Orange-Stark individually when next school year starts,” Patterson said. “I want to be the face they know with this program. I will also meet with each respective grade level and explain what the program is and what the requirements are, especially for the incoming freshman students.”

The scholarship is not based on need. Instead, students must meet a series of requirements to be eligible for the scholarship, such as continuous enrollment and residency in the school district; maintain a “C” grade average throughout high school; and participation in a UIL activity each school year.

The scholarship will provide up to four years of tuition and mandatory fees, and payments are made directly to the educational institution.

According to Patterson, more than 380 students from LC-M and West Orange-Stark enrolled in college after graduation last summer. She expects those numbers to be comparable this year.

“We gathered information over the last four years, and those numbers are pretty consistent,” she said. “We are estimating around 380 to 400 students will attend college from those schools this year.”

Donors and sponsors are helping contribute funds into the program, and Patterson said things are going well.

“Everyone wants to be a part of this program,” she said. “We definitely are not having to twist any arms to get them interested. These people know how beneficial something like this can be for the students and the community.”

To maintain eligibility for the scholarship, students must be admitted to a two-year or four-year college or approved education facility; showing progress toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree; maintain a 2.0 grade point average; and complete a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

The tuition benefit, or amount of school to be paid for by the scholarship, will be determined on the above mentioned requirements, but especially length of attendance in the respective school district.

If a student attends either LC-M or West Orange-Cove school districts from kindergarten through 12th grade and meets all other requirements, then a 100 percent scholarship would be awarded.

However, for a student who only attends those districts during all four years of high school, the scholarship benefit would be 65 percent.

Students are able to obtain an application at www.Inspire12.org, and the application must be completed by Nov. 1 of the student’s senior year.





Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com

        

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