A local Newsome High School senior, Jasmine Merry, was awarded the prestigious P.E.O. STAR Scholarship. Jasmine will use her $2,500 scholarship towards her freshman year at Clemson University, where she plans to study actuarial science.
The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship is based on excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academics and potential for future success. The program is open to young women who are citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States or Canada and are graduating high school seniors at the time of application. A P.E.O. chapter must recommend a student.
Jasmine Merry is the daughter of Jeff and Candace Merry and was recommended for this scholarship.
Anne Corl, member of P.E.O. of Chapter IW in Valrico, presented the scholarship to Jasmine earlier last year. She wants other young women to take advantage of the scholarship opportunity supporting their higher education.
“I joined the P.E.O. Sisterhood because I believed in the mission, which is to help support women in education pursue their dreams. We are supporting the next generation,” she said.
The P.E.O. Sisterhood, founded on January 21, 1869, at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is an international philanthropic and educational organization that promotes increased educational opportunities for women. There are nearly 6,000 local chapters in the United States and Canada with almost 250,000 initiated members.
The P.E.O. Sisterhood has provided over $321 million in financial assistance to more than 105,000 recipients. The P.E.O. Sisterhood also owns Cottey College, a fully accredited private liberal arts and sciences college for women, with two-year and selected four-year programs, located in Nevada, Missouri.
Those interested in applying for P.E.O. scholarships, which open later in 2020, should contact Chapter IW at chyto@aol.com or visit peointernational.org.
