Through superior scholarship, leadership ability, high moral character and service to school, community and church, LDS high school seniors qualify to compete for one of 24 Ezra Taft Benson Scholarships awarded each year by Brigham Young University, said Sue DeMartini, BYU's director of scholarships.
"It is the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship that we offer at BYU because of the way the recipients are selected and because of the amount of the stipend," she said.The purpose of the award is written at the top of the application form: "This award that bears the name of the prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distinguishes the leadership, personal character and academic promise of some of the finest young minds in the Church. To be appointed a Benson Scholar is a singular achievement."
The scholarship, funded by the Church, was offered for the first time in 1967. It was then called the David O. McKay Scholarship and has borne the name of each succeeding Church president.
The recipients of the Benson Scholarships are entitled to eight semesters at 1 1/2 times LDS tuition, she said.
In order to be considered for a Benson Scholarship, applicants must be members of the Church with an American College Test score of at least 31 and a grade-point average of 3.85 or better, she said. They also must submit an application form, letters of recommendation from teachers and their bishops and a report on their extracurricular and service activities.
Sister DeMartini said there are about 400 applicants each year.
Finalists - 30 men and 30 women - are invited to BYU for an interview with Benson Scholarship committee members and evaluations in science, humanities and social science, she said.
Finally, 12 men and 12 women are selected to receive the scholarships.
Following is a list of those who received the 1993 Benson Scholarships:
Emily Bishop, Orem, Utah; Sandra Bohling, Tualatin, Ore.; Katrina Bradford, Islamabad, Pakistan; Christine Chon, Baltimore, Md.; Elise S. DeLong, Fullerton, Calif.; Emily Gwilliam, Tempe, Ariz.; Mary Jane Jones, Seoul, Korea; Ashley Lee, San Antonio, Texas; Shelah Mastny, Stratford, Conn.; Kyrsten Sinema, DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; Cori S. Smith, Park City, Utah; Suzanne Todd, Littleton, Colo.; Aaron W. Barlow, Boise, Idaho; Tyler S. Christensen, Brigham City, Utah; Jared M. Halverson, Valencia, Calif.; Chad T. Harrington, Blackfoot, Idaho; Jonathan W. King, Kaysville, Utah; Justin B. Kunz, Bountiful, Utah; Edward C. Miner, Springville, Utah; Benjamin Mizukawa, Fort Washington, Md.; Nathan B. Oman, Salt Lake City, Utah; Leonard F. Pease III, Richland, Wash.; David P. Sims, Bakersfield, Calif.; Alan E. Wessman, Chehalis, Wash.
