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worst & sowers.jpgBETHANY, W.Va. – Seniors Ashley Worst and Stephanie Sowers have been announced as winners of the 2016-2017 James Allison Award scholarships at Bethany College.

Worst, from Apollo, Pennsylvania, was awarded first place and received a $1,000 scholarship. Sowers, from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was awarded second place and received a $500 scholarship. The two were chosen based on essays submitted on the topic: “What does Bison Pride mean to you?”

Worst, an Equine Management and Visual Arts double major, defined Bison Pride as taking all the opportunities that Bethany has to offer and saying thank you.

“It is the tumultuous embodiment of the fire in the hearts of those who truly want Bethany to be its best,” said Worst. “Bison Pride is more than just pride in being part of Bethany; it is a pride in yourself. We make Bethany, Bethany, so why not take pride in ourselves?”

While at Bethany, Worst became involved in athletics, academics and a plethora of clubs and organizations. She ran Cross Country, Track and Field, rode on the Equestrian Team, a member of the Potters’ Guild, a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, a Resident Assistant, and also a Japanese Culture Club member.

Sowers, a Business Management major, explained that Bison Pride permeates on campus daily.

“It is nearly impossible not to feel pride when your fellow Bethanians succeed,” Sowers said. “But because of how inexplicably linked all students on this campus are to one another, that pride runs deeper – that is Bison Pride. It not only encompasses your satisfaction with your own success and achievements at Bethany, but all those around you as well.”

In her essay, Sowers said that Bison Pride is shown when peers come together in January and May to support classmates as they exit their comprehensive exams, a tradition at Bethany that is unique as they are one of only a few undergraduate institutions in the country that conduct comprehensive exams. Sowers will take her comprehensive exams this January.

The awards are presented in memory of the late Jim Allison, Professor of Mathematics at Bethany and a deeply valued member of the Ohio Valley community. A 1962 graduate of Bethany, Allison died of a heart attack in 2000.

To be eligible for the scholarships, candidates must be an upperclassman with a cumulative grade point average of 2.85 and complete a 500 to 1000 word essay on a related topic. This year, 13 candidates applied for this scholarship.

About Bethany College

Bethany College is located on a picturesque and historic 1,300-acre campus in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Founded in 1840, Bethany is the state’s oldest private college.