UAHT establishes scholarship in honor of slain student
The University of Arkansas at HopeTexarkana has established the Christa Shockley Memorial Endowed Scholarship in memory of the former student who was killed Feb. 2 at the E-Z Mart in Fouke, Ark.
The endowment was created through fundraising efforts by Shockley’s family, Beech Street First Baptist Church, school faculty and staff members and E-Z Mart Inc.
As a church member, she volunteered with vacation bible school, Parent’s Night Out and worked with KLFI-TV to film and run cable for high school football games. She was a 2014 graduate of Genoa Central High School and began classes at UA Hope-Texarkana in the fall of that year and planned to pursue a degree in film.
Her mother, Gina Shockley, said her daughter’s faith in Jesus gave her the ability to bring inspiration to others.
“She enjoyed everything about her life. Her family, friends, work, and education were all important pieces of Christa’s sparkly personality,” she said. “She would want to help someone working hard to better their life through education, which is what this scholarship aims to do. Just as Christa had many working parts that made her so unique, so has the makings of this scholarship. We would like to thank every ‘working part’ for their contribution that brought the Christa Shockley Memorial Endowed Scholarship into existence.”
Loni Taylor, UA Hope-Texarkana instructor, said Shockley’s bright smile is missed on the campus.
“Christa was a driven student who worked hard for what she had and knew where she wanted to go in life,” Taylor said. “She also was the type of student who encouraged others and was a positive influence to those on our campus. Her shining smile and infectious, bright outlook on life have been missed greatly at UAHT.”
Katie D. Cornett of Genoa, Ark., recently became the scholarship’s first recipient.