UofL President James R. Ramsey met with Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, and U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, KY-05 at the center in Somerset, Ky., to officially announce the partnership and college scholarship opportunities for Rogers Scholars graduates.
“We’re excited to support this initiative, which encourages and rewards great student leaders from Southern and Eastern Kentucky,” Ramsey said. “We’re looking forward to seeing more Rogers Scholars on UofL’s campus this fall and in the years to come.”
The scholarship opportunities will be available to rising high school juniors within the center’s 45-county primary service area who graduate from the Rogers Scholars program and meet UofL’s scholarship requirements.
“The Rogers Scholars program is very close to my heart, as it actively fulfills one of the primary needs in our region—providing young people with the best opportunities here at home, so they don’t have to leave Kentucky to follow their dreams,” Rogers said. “When institutions, like the University of Louisville, recognize the hard work and impressive resumes of Rogers Scholars in the form of scholarship money, it’s a sign of success for our educators and our students. I want to thank President Ramsey for his commitment to support students in our region.”
The Center for Rural Development started the Rogers Scholars program in 1998 to address — and reverse — out-migration of young people from the region. It is designed to help the center move toward its vision that no young person should have to leave their home region to find their future, according to the center’s website.