(L-R) DeeAnn Hooper/TW Founder; Hannah Schulz; Mary Wellborn; Hunter Schulz; Gigi Marburger/TW Scholarship Committee Chair
Jackson Allan Hooper, for whom Turtle Wing Foundation was founded in memory of in 2011, would have been a Schulenburg High School senior this year … graduating class of 2019! Though he will not be walking across the stage with his classmates, his memory and the impact his life and passing left on his peers will definitely be present. DeeAnn Hooper, founder of the foundation, wanted to make this a special year for Jack’s classmates and for Turtle Wing. Coordination with Schulenburg ISD administration, some of Jack’s classmates and former teachers, and the foundation led to the creation of “The Year of the Flying Shorthorn.” This project was intended to further the mission of Turtle Wing and in turn help all children become the best they can be, helping them to fly academically, socially and emotionally. One of these projects was the first ever academic scholarships that were awarded to three talented members of the Flying Shorthorns. The Jack Hooper Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Hunter Schulz. The scholarship committee considered if the applicants exhibited the qualities of Acceptance, Kindness, Inclusion, and Service. This might have been exhibited through volunteerism, work or life experiences. Mary Wellborn was selected to receive the Grow Wings Scholarship, which was restricted to students actively participating in Special Education or following a 504 Plan. The final scholarship, the Give Wings Scholarship, was directed towards applicants who are pursuing an education that will lead them to working with children with learning challenges in some way. Hannah Schulz was the winner of this final scholarship. In the future these scholarships will be open to graduating high school students from Colorado, Fayette, Lavaca and surrounding counties which is the Turtle Wing service area. Turtle Wing Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization which helps children with academic, social-emotional, behavioral and/or developmental needs and provided Early Intervention and Supplemental Services to over 300 children last year with thousands more being impacted by Community Education & Advocacy programming. To learn more about Turtle Wing Foundation “like” their page on Facebook, visit www.turtlewingfoundation.org or contact Managing Director, Susie Shank, at 979-505-5090.