Providing the margin of excellence

External support is helping engineering student achieve his educational dream

Kermit O. Evans wants to make a contribution to the environment when he graduates from Mississippi State, and the financial support he is receiving from various sources is helping to ensure that he achieves that dream.

One such award the junior chemical engineering major from Hollandale received is $4,000 from the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation as one of its 100 regional Coca-Cola Scholars.

More than 120,000 applicants annually seek the Coca-Cola Foundation awards. To qualify, applicants are required to submit an essay explaining their future plans.

"The Coca-Cola scholarship assists students in meeting their educational goals," said Evans, a junior chemical engineering major. "I'd like to get a master's or doctorate in chemical engineering. Eventually, I'd like to own my own chemical plant and develop chemical processes that are environmentally friendly."

The Coca-Cola Scholarship is just one example of how external financial support is helping Mississippi State University students pursue their educational endeavors.

Numerous talented Mississippi State students are honored each semester with financial awards from companies, foundations, and other private groups. About 70 percent of the university's students also receive some form of scholarship support or financial aid. And Evans, along with nearly 1,000 other Mississippi State students, participates in the university's Cooperative Education Program, alternating semesters between academic course work and employment.

"Being able to provide our students with the financial resources they need to attend college is extremely important for Mississippi State University," says Dr. Billy Ward, vice president for institutional advancement. "Whether it be through endowed scholarships established by our alumni and friends, the Cooperative Education Program, or awards from the corporate and foundation sector, many of today's students need this support to pursue their college degrees.

"Kermit Evans' Coca-Cola Scholarship also is just one of the many examples of our students competing equally with the best students from colleges and universities around the country."

The son of Charles and Margaret Evans, Evans is a former STAR Student at Simmons High School. In 1992, he participated in a summer internship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.