FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2002
FY02-35
ORAU Awards Pollard Scholarships
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. – Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) recently awarded five William G. Pollard scholarships for the 2002-2003 academic year. Each scholarship is in the amount of $1200 toward undergraduate studies at the college of her choice.
The scholarships were given this year to five area students who show outstanding academic achievement in high school or undergraduate studies and are children of ORAU employees.
Oliver Springs High School graduating senior Vanessa Gayle O’Neal is the daughter of Joree O’Neal, Oliver Springs. An aspiring businesswoman, O’Neal plans to attend Tennessee Technological University in the fall as Business Management major. While at Oliver Springs High School, she was elected Vice President and then President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was selected to attend Volunteer Girls State, served as editor of the school newspaper, Student Council Representative and then Secretary, and was captain of the cross-country team and co-captain of the softball and basketball team. O’Neal was also a STARS panelist, visiting area middle schools to speak to children about the dangers of having sex at a young age. O’Neal is also a member of the Beta Club, which requires students to do at least 20 hours of community service per year and maintain a 3.5 grade point average.
Brian Lesesne, a Business Administration major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the son of John and Nancy Lesesne of Oak Ridge. Lesesne maintains a spot on the Dean’s List while satisfying his love of sports. He recognizes a growing interest in finance, the stock market, investment, and corporate America. This former honor graduate of Oak Ridge High School was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in the State Advanced Math Competition. He was three-year member of the Oak Ridge Varsity Golf Team. Lesesne was voted 2001 Most Valuable Player on the Oak Ridge Varsity Soccer Team, served as team captain, and made the All-State soccer team.
University of Tennessee student Leslie Danielle Veler is the daughter of Pat Veler, Clinton. A Dean’s List student, she has been accepted into UT’s College of Nursing while working in the main office at East Tennessee Oncology and Hematology. Veler was a 2000 recipient of a Pollard Scholarship and graduated with honors in highest distinction from Clinton High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society and named Ms. Clinton High School. She also received a Timely Topics Scholarship. Veler is currently a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, where she does service work centered on arthritis research.
Rachel Tardif, graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School (Kent, Ohio), is the daughter of Dick and Suzette Tardif. She recently completed her freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she made the Dean’s List. She has been accepted as a student at Rice University in Houston, Texas and will begin there in the fall. She is a National Merit Scholar and member of the National Merit Society and recipient of the Colby Book Award for academic excellence and the President’s Service Award for community service. Tardif was a steering committee member and work site volunteer for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Habitat for Humanity project. She is majoring in English and Economics. At Theodore Roosevelt High School, she was a member of the Key Club and Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Miracle Network project chairman, and co-editor of the school literary magazine.
West High School class of 2002 graduate Michael Neas, son of Ann Neas, Knoxville, expects to graduate from the University of Tennessee in 2006. His fascination with the way computers function has led Neas to pursue a career as a computer engineer. At West High School, Neas was a member of the National Junior Honors Society and Key Club and a member of the varsity soccer team. He was also one of only two students selected to do cooperative work at TVA and is listed in Who’s Who Among American High School Students.
The William G. Pollard Scholarships were established in 1996 as part of ORAU’s 50th anniversary celebration and recognize Dr. Pollard's dedication to science and education. Pollard, a University of Tennessee (UT) physics professor, founded the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies (which later became known as Oak Ridge Associated Universities) to link the valuable scientific resources developed in Oak Ridge as part of the Manhattan Project with regional universities, which did not have access to such high-tech equipment.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 86 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies, and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.