DENTON (UNT), Texas — When a repetitive stress injury led to Andrew Harwell quitting his Austin band, he didn’t know that, years later, he'd be majoring in biochemistry at the University of North Texas — without having to hold a job to pay for tuition.
This semester, Harwell became one of 24 students who transferred to UNT from community colleges to receive a $13,000 Terry Transfer/Non-traditional Scholarship from the Terry Foundation. The scholarship has allowed him to start preparing for a second career after his injury ended his career as a musician. The Terry Foundation, established by longtime Houston residents Howard L. and Nancy Terry, provides scholarships to students enrolling in four-year Texas universities straight from high school, as well as students transferring to the universities from community colleges.
The scholarships, which are renewable for up to three years, are given to students who are earning bachelor's degrees and have financial need to achieve their goals in higher education. UNT began awarding Terry Scholarships to traditional students entering UNT straight from high school in 2010, and started offering Terry Transfer/Non-traditional Scholarships in 2013. It is one of 13 Texas universities offering the scholarships.
Harwell, 26, graduated from Arlington's Martin High School in 2006 and entered UNT in August. He said the scholarship will allow him to spend time outside of class on research. Although he's been interested in science since childhood, he said he developed an interest in chemistry when he started tutoring University of Texas undergraduates. At that time, Harwell was still earning his associate's degree in science and general studies from Austin Community College.
"I started looking up research articles and using them to help with tutoring," he says. "I'm now very interested in neuroscience and how to tie what we know and are learning about it into pharmacological applications."
Susan Eve, coordinator of UNT's Terry Scholars and associate dean of UNT's Honors College, says students who apply for the scholarships must be recommended to the Terry Foundation by a UNT committee. The foundation then awards the scholarships.
"We look for indicators of the students being independent learners and becoming leaders," she says. In addition, she says, many of the Terry Scholars are eligible for the Honors College, which requires transfer students to have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.35 on all college work.
Asia Montague was selected to Phi Theta Kappa, the academic honor society for community college students with GPAs of at least 3.5, when she attended Tarrant County College. As a Terry Transfer Scholar at UNT, she's majoring in fashion design and minoring in both merchandising and marketing.
"I wouldn't have been able to attend UNT without the Terry Scholarship," says Montague, a New Orleans native who came to the Dallas-Fort Worth area with her family after Hurricane Katrina hit the city, and graduated from Arlington's Juan Seguin High School in 2011.
Journalism major Ranjani Groth also says the Terry Scholarship made it possible for her to attend UNT. She previously worked as a barista, a nanny, a receptionist and a dogwalker to attend Criswell College in Dallas. But after spending time in Sri Lanka with her missionary family, and living with a Muslin family in Tajikistan as a tutor, she decided to make her photography hobby a career.
"I was so excited to enroll at UNT," said Groth, who said the university's Mayborn School of Journalism had been highly recommended to her. "And because I don't have to work a part-time job, I've been able to set up my own photography business."
She says her business will be mostly wedding and other event photography, but she has a higher goal for her career: becoming a photographer for National Geographic magazine.
Gregory Pierce's Terry Scholarship has allowed him to switch from studying radiology at El Centro College to majoring in history at UNT, with hopes of earning a master's degree in library science from UNT's College of Information after receiving his bachelor's degree.
A longtime restoration artist for a photo lab, Pierce decided to become a museum archivist after visiting his sister-in-law in Washington, D.C., and learning about her work in the Smithsonian Institute's American History Museum. He began volunteering for the Dallas Public Library archives, and started volunteering for the UNT Libraries’ Special Collections this semester. He hopes to work at the Smithsonian after receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees.
"I love how the Terry Scholars connect with each other, and that we're held accountable for our grades and demeanor. I want to be the best Terry Scholar that I can be," Pierce says.