The Designing Women Foundation honored Charlie Classics readers and scholarship recipients May 12 at the Bloodworth House with an awards reception.
Poplar Bluff High School senior Cora Pendley received a $1,000 Designing Women Scholarship. She plans to major in horticulture at Murray State University.
Senior Mackinley Cox also received a $1,000 Designing Women Scholarship and a $2,000 Charlie Classics Scholarship. Cox read 118 classics throughout her junior and senior high years to qualify for the latter scholarship. She plans to major in biomedical sciences and will attend Southeast Missouri State University. Cox is the 43rd Poplar Bluff senior to read 100 classics.
Six students received cash awards for being the top readers in their classes. Cox received $300 for reading 15 books, junior Claire Funke received $300 for reading 10 books, and sophomore Savannah Thomas read 11 books to receive $300.
At the junior high level, eighth grader Andrew Pennell read 30 books and received the $300 top prize while eighth grader Ayannah Gipson read 20 books, placing second and winning $150. Seventh grader Isaiah Eastep captured $300 by being the top reader in his class with 25 books.
Charlie Classics is a reading program available to Poplar Bluff junior high and senior high students. Begun by Linda Bloodworth Thomason in 1990, students are encouraged to read classic literature with the goal of completing 100 classics by the end of their senior year. Charlie Classics scholarship recipients have been awarded $199,565 thus far for their college educations.
DWF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cultural and educational enrichment of deserving young people, primarily women. For more information, visit designingwomenfoundation.org.
