Beki Cottrell and Alicia Mason receive their scholarships from
Jill Irvine, director of Women's Studies
Single Mothers Receive Scholarships
Two single mother students at OU will have a much-needed boost in their finances this school year. They are the recipients of the Betty Baum and Norman Hirschfield Award, a $4,000 scholarship given out each year.
Beki Cottrell and Alicia Mason are the 2008-2009 recipients of the award. Cottrell met with Jill Irvine, director of the Women’s Studies Program, prior to classes beginning to receive her checks. Mason met with her later in the month.
Cottrell is a liberal studies major with an emphasis in humanities. She also works full-time at the Advanced Programs office at OU, takes care of her two daughters and maintains a 3.5 grade point average. “This scholarship is such an affirmation of what I am doing is the right thing,” she said at the ceremony. “I want to show my girls that you can make it, no matter what your situation is.” Cottrell began her college career at Oklahoma City Community College at the age of 19, then decided to marry and move to Kansas with her husband. After several moves back and forth and much difficulty at home, she decided to come back home to Norman, where her family could help her with her daughters while she completed her degree. Even while carrying a full-time load at OU, she works 40 hours and enjoys spending time with her little girls. This is her second year at OU, and she wants to stay here. “I love Norman, I love Oklahoma. I’ve been away and now I want to stay.”
“It’s funny. I have friends that are my age and they say, ‘I’m going to go to this club or that bar’ and I just think ‘I’m going to stay here with my girls.’ It is a very different set of priorities that you have when you are raising two girls on your own.”
Cottrell’s father and sister are both OU grads and she is proud to continue the Sooner tradition!
The Betty Baum and Norman Hirschfield Award was permanently endowed in Women's Studies by Alan Hirschfield in 1999 in memory of his parents. The Hirschfields lived in Oklahoma City for many years and created this generous endowment to support single mothers returning to the University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus. Three scholarships of $4,000 each are awarded annually.
Special Events:
September 4
New Faculty Reception, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., 132 Ellison Hall.
September 8
Leadership Scholars first meeting, followed by Dinner with the Dean, 4:30 p.m. Ellison Hall 132
More Events ...
