Three Students Receive NGWA Scholarships

The scholarships awarded each year to students who are children or relatives of NGWA members.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Auxiliary has awarded its annual academic scholarships for 2000 to three undergraduate students. Awarded each year to students who are children or relatives of NGWA members, the Auxiliary scholarships have been presented to Natasha Beck, Jennifer Johnson, and Karly Pippitt

Natasha Beck, of Lenox, IA, is a 21-year-old senior at Grandview College, Des Moines, IA. She hopes to attend medical school and has been completing a major in biology and a major in human services. A student member of NGWA, Miss Beck plans to attend graduate school to study pre-med or social work.

She has been honored with presentation of the Strasser Award as the top-ranked biology student at Grandview College. She has worked as a certified nurses' aide and has been active in mission work for her church. Miss Beck also served as a volunteer for the Iowa Stream Team and assisted in testing local groundwater resources.

Scholarship recipient Jennifer Johnson is studying biology and conservation at Clemson University. An 18-year-old student member of NGWA, Miss Johnson is from Charlotte, NC and is a graduate of Independence High School. As a high school student, she was a participant in the International Baccalaureate Program, a special activity for students seeking challenges in all academic areas.

A student athlete, Miss Johnson participated in track and cross-country and rode in local horse shows. She was vice-president of her 4-H Club and was involved in the National Honor Society and Ecology Club. She also helped plan a water festival in Charlotte to educate elementary school students about pollutant disposal and groundwater protection. She is a co-founder of North Carolina's first Groundwater Guardian chapter.

The third scholarship recipient is Karly Pippitt, the daughter of NGWA member Dale Pippitt of the Floyd Lilly Co. and a junior majoring in biology at Albertson College of Idaho. She plans to attend medical school after receiving her degree in biology. She is active in campus residency programs, most recently serving as an assistant residence hall director for a building in which 50 women students reside.

Miss Pippitt is vice president of her college's National Honor Society chapter, and serves as secretary of the Tobacco Free Youth Advocates of Idaho. She also has volunteered for the American Red Cross and assisted in campus blood drives. Over this past summer she worked for the Salmon River Emergency Clinic, where she recorded patient histories, ran lab tests and assisted with emergency ambulance dispatches.