RSU student Kelsey Bart received the Cherokee Nation Foundation 2020-2021 Brent and Janees Taylor Business Scholarship.
Character, honesty, perseverance and courage describe the character of a Cherokee, and Rogers State University student Kelsey Bart is committed to preserving and promoting Cherokee values and culture. Bart, an RSU senior and Claremore native, was a recipient of the Cherokee Nation Foundation 2020-2021 Brent and Janees Taylor Business Scholarship.
“Receiving a scholarship presented to a student who is a Cherokee Nation citizen carries a greater responsibility to be an example for others,” Bart said. “I don’t take that responsibility lightly and feel proud knowing my hard work is being rewarded. People believe in me enough to invest in my education. It’s an honor.”
Brent and Janees Taylor partnered with the Cherokee Nation Foundation in 2017 to support RSU Cherokee students through an endowment matching program. Their scholarship supports Cherokee Nation students in Rogers or Mayes county studying business and assists them with tuition, books, fees, housing and other educational expenses.
“Now more than ever it is important for students to find comfort and hope in their plans for the future,” Janice Randall, the Cherokee Nation Foundation executive director, said. “Our students will rise to the challenge and help contribute to a brighter future for all Cherokees.”
Janees Taylor, who previously attended Rogers State University, said the scholarship provides students who have the drive to succeed in business with an opportunity to purse a degree close to home.
“A business degree can help you accomplish almost anything,” Taylor said. “We are eager to help support students in this community for whom it may be out of reach.”
Bart is thankful for the opportunity the Taylor’s have given her to finish school without financial strain.
“I am able to focus on my education because this scholarship provides the financial relief,” Bart said. “I can focus on my studies and be prepared to tackle the workforce with great success upon graduation.”
The Cherokee Nation is a sovereign tribal government. Today, the Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States with more than 370,000 tribal citizens worldwide. More than 141,000 Cherokee Nation citizens reside within the 14-county tribal jurisdictional area that covers most of northeastern Oklahoma.
To learn more about RSU scholarship opportunities, visit rsu.edu/scholarships.