Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Janees Taylor (center) and her husband Brent Taylor (left) have established a scholarship to support Cherokee Nation students studying business at Rogers State University. They are pictured at the RSU Pryor campus with Director Sherry Alexander (right).
Cherokee Nation students at Rogers State University will have a new business scholarship option next fall, thanks to an endowment matching program through the Cherokee Nation Foundation.
Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Janees Taylor and her husband Brent Taylor recently established the Brent and Janees Taylor, RSU College of Business Scholarship.
The scholarship supports Cherokee Nation students studying business at RSU in an effort to assist with tuition, books, fees, housing and other educational expenses.
“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fund education in our local community,” Janees Taylor said. “We chose to invest in RSU because they invest in their students.”
The scholarship is funded by the Taylors and matched by the CNF “Leave a Legacy” program, which helps establish endowments and scholarships benefiting Cherokee Nation students. The new scholarship will be awarded to students beginning Fall 2017. Applications are now available and will be accepted through January 31, 2017 at www.cherokeenationfoundation.org/scholarships.
“We could not be more thankful for the support we have received on our new endowment matching program,” said Janice Randall, executive director of Cherokee Nation Foundation. “The fund created by the Taylor family is a wonderful example of how we can work together to customize each scholarship opportunity and ensure that these contributions have a lasting impact on Cherokee students for years to come.”
The $500 scholarship will be awarded each year to a Cherokee Nation student who is enrolled full time in an undergraduate business program at RSU. To qualify, students must be a resident of Rogers or Mayes County and must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Janees Taylor, who previously attended Rogers State College, said the goal is to provide students who have the drive to succeed in business with an opportunity to pursue 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 might be out of reach.”
Brent Taylor, is a business owner in Pryor and currently serves on the board of directors for Cherokee Nation Businesses. Taylor believes small businesses are vital to the growth and well-being of a community.
“Anything we can do to promote people going into business, the better,” Brent Taylor said. “The future is not just about local businesses; all business will be global.”
“RSU remains dedicated to providing affordable education in northeastern Oklahoma,” Phillips said. “We’re thankful for the generous support of Janees and Brent along with the Cherokee Nation Foundation as we strive to help students graduate debt free.”
To access and apply for the scholarship, visit www.cherokeenationfoundation.org/scholarships. For more information on this and other CNF scholarships, contact the CNF at 918-207-0950 or Janice Randall at [email protected].