Local student Tamara Boles has been named as a recipient of Fairmont State University’s premier academic scholarship, the Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship.

Tamara Boles of Bridgeport is the daughter of Timothy and Ginger Boles, and is a 2017 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Harrison County.

“Fairmont State University offers many opportunities for high-achieving students. I look forward to welcoming all scholarship winners to our campus community,” said Dr. Maria Rose, FSU President. “At FSU, we take seriously our commitment to give our students exactly what they need to be successful in our changing global economy. Fairmont State University is a place where teaching and learning matter. FSU provides students with chances to create their own firsts based on their personal goals. All students should have the chance to expand their horizons.”

The competitive scholarship includes tuition, room and board and a book stipend. The high school of each of the winners was presented with a plaque featuring its student during the school’s spring awards assembly.

The deadline to apply for the Presidential Scholarship is in February each year. To compete for the Presidential Scholarship, named by the FSU Board of Governors in honor of Dr. Charles J. McClain who served as FSU’s interim president from 2008-2009, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Be a West Virginia student who is a member of the Class of 2017.
• Be a PROMISE Scholarship recipient.
• Submit a Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship application and essay.
• Complete an FSU admissions file (general application, high school transcript, test scores) prior to the deadline.
• Have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Have an ACT composite score of 26 or higher or 1190 SAT (combined Critical Reading and Math scores taken prior to March 2016) or 1260 SAT total score (taken March 2016 and after).
• Participate in on-campus interviews.

First-year recipients must maintain an overall GPA of a 2.75 at the end of their first year. An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for renewal during subsequent years. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be obtained in a year of enrollment for renewal. The Charles J. McClain Presidential Scholarship can only be awarded up to eight semesters.

Students from across West Virginia who participated in interviews on campus were named finalists for FSU’s most prestigious scholarship. Each finalist will receive the Presidential Finalist Scholarship, which is valued at $1,500 per year and is a four-year scholarship.

The following area students were named as finalists:

Harrison County

• Katherine Coburn of Bridgeport, the daughter of John and Jennifer Conley.
• Jasmine Cochran of Shinnston, the daughter of Angela Ross.
• Camden Cutlip of Clarksburg, the son of Allen and Cynthia Cutlip.
• Cassie Delawder of Shinnston, the daughter of Bryan and Virginia Delawder.
• Lindsey LaNeve of Shinnston, the daughter of Todd and Tamara LaNeve.
• Devin McIntyre of Clarksburg, the son of Mark and B. Louann McIntyre.
• Kelsey Palmer of Clarksburg, the daughter of Brian and Gina Palmer.

All PROMISE Scholars also are eligible to participate in the Honors Program, which provides students with the opportunity to deepen their academic experience through smaller classes taught by some of the University’s finest faculty, field trips in the United States and abroad and extracurricular activities on and off campus.

“Honors students find that studying and socializing with other like-minded students helps them to make the most of their university experience,” said Dr. J. Robert Baker, Director of the Honors Program.

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Tamara Boles