Oaklawn Foundation awards $383,000 in scholarships
The Oaklawn Foundation’s scholarship program will afford 125 Garland County students the opportunity to pursue their dreams this year.
During an awards ceremony on Tuesday in the Frederick Dierks Building on the National Park College campus, the foundation awarded a total of $383,000 in scholarships. Since 2007, the foundation has awarded $2,891,000 in scholarships.
“I look out and I see dreams come true for so many of us because you’re in a situation with a program that is unique to anything in the state of Arkansas,” said Kerry Lockwood-Owen, chairwoman of the Oaklawn Foundation Scholarship Committee. “I consider you dreamers because you all have a vision of something that will make you better and have every opportunity to make those you touch better. So, you dreamers are sitting here and my charge to you is you take that dream to its full fruition.”
Four $5,000 scholarships and 121 $3,000 scholarships were awarded to a diverse pool of applicants pursuing technical, vocational, two-year and four-year degrees, as well as master’s and Ph.D. programs. Recipients range in age from 17 to 62 years old.
The four $5,000 scholarships were awarded to Karl Lowrey and Dylan Wassan, who each
received a Darryl and Shirley Meyer Memorial Scholarship; Lucas Segal, who received the Bob Freeman Leadership Award; and Lyca Steelman, recipient of the Melinda Gassaway Journalism Scholarship.
Each year, recipients are encouraged to return and share their stories of how the awards have helped them pursue their education. Desiree Skeya, executive director of The Hope Movement, shared her story.
Skeya said she was born in New York City to drug-addicted parents and grew up in and out of foster homes until she was adopted at 14 years old in Mountain Home. After graduating high school, she said she became addicted to drugs after losing both her biological and adoptive fathers. In 2009, she said she went to jail before going to rehab. She later began college in 2012.
“I wanted to go further in life and reach my full potential,” she said. “I was able to thrive in the college environment. I wanted to break the cycle of addiction in my family and become someone that I could be proud of.
“I presently have almost eight years clean from addiction and currently work as executive director of The Hope Movement, a faith-based home for women who struggle with substance abuse.
“I love helping people and allowing them to see that no matter the situation, there is always hope, a purpose and that they can overcome their current circumstances.”
Skeya said not only is she the first to attend and graduate college, but she will earn her bachelor’s degree from Henderson State University in December. She then plans to pursue her master’s degree.
“I would like to own both the facilities for men and women who struggle with addiction to help them get their life back,” she said. “Up until this point, this scholarship has helped myself and my husband.
“This money not only helps us, but it allows us to help others that we work with because of our degrees.”
Lockwood-Owen said the stories of the applicants, like Skeya, are “remarkable.” The scholarship program, she said, began with the dream that this scholarship would be like no other offered.
“It would be ageless. It would be dedicated to every type of student in Garland County. It really has three requirements — you have to have a minimum of a GED, you have to be a Garland County resident and you have to share your story so that we know what we can do to perhaps help your dream come to fruition,” she said.
Eric Jackson, senior vice president of Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, said the foundation started with the Cella family wanting to give back to the Hot Springs community.
“They came up with the idea for this foundation and they turned it over to the staff to make it work,” Jackson said. “It comes down to a formula that’s based on business so if our team at Oaklawn does a good job and we have a good year, there’s more for the foundation.
“It started with the Cellas, it goes to Wayne (Smith) and his team, and then it gets turned over to the foundation. They work without pay. They get very little recognition, not a lot of celebration but they do a great job in this community.”
Jackson said over the course of 14 years, the foundation has awarded nearly 1,000 scholarships in Garland County.
Ira Kleinman, president of the Oaklawn Foundation, said it’s important to recognize the scholarships are made possible “because good people are doing good things.”
“We’re here because of the generosity of the Cella Family and Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort,” he said. “In 2006, Oaklawn created this foundation and said support seniors and support education, and do it right here in Garland County. Since then, they have donated nearly $10 million back to the community.
“The impact of this program on our community is beyond words and somebody had to put all of this together, and that person was Kerry Lockwood-Owen. Kerry pulled together all of her creative talents and turned this concept into a reality. Kerry and her scholarship committee have put many years of effort into this to make it happen.”
Lockwood-Owen closed with one final expectation for the recipients.
“We expect you to follow your dreams with greatness,” she said.
“One expectation of the Foundation is not only that you reach your dreams, but that you come back and share with your community.”