F. W. Mattox had a great influence on Lubbock Christian University when he was alive, and now, even after his passing in 2001, he is still positively affecting students’ lives at LCU. F.W. Mattox valued the academics, encouraging students to strive for success and continually challenge themselves. We at the Honors College are working to continue F.W. Mattox’s legacy by offering the F.W. Mattox Presidential Scholarship to a rigorously selected group of LCU Honors students.

                Potential recipients must write several essays, participate in an on-campus interview, give a personal speech, show off their networking skills, and display their exceptional academic achievement and exemplary Christian leadership. Dozens of students apply, but only a handful are selected as finalists every year, and only five of the finalists are ultimately awarded with this academic scholarship by the LCU Honors College.

                The scholarship just recently selected the third cohort, and the first two are excited to welcome in these bright new students during the upcoming Fall Semester.

The first cohort are finishing their sophomore year this spring semester, and the four of them have bonded over being the first Mattox Scholars selected by the Honors College.

Audrey Bradley

Audrey Bradley is from Sundown, Texas, where she grew up with her three younger siblings and her pet cat and her dog. Audrey is athletic and passionate about the West Texas Agricultural Industry, and so she is majoring in Animal Science with future plans to help animals and the agriculture industry. Audrey first heard about LCU from her high school counselor, and she has completely fallen in love with LCU because it has been able to enrich her education beyond what she was expecting. Her most exciting memory so far has been her study abroad last semester in Avila, Spain. Studying abroad allowed Audrey to see more of the world, experience a new culture, and grow as a person, making the LCU Honors College an important aspect in Audrey’s college education.

 

Michael Long

Michael Long is from Houston, Texas, where he grew up with his 2 siblings. Michael is currently double majoring in Economics and Mathematics, and he plans on working for the Metropolitan Police Department in their Risk Management office.  Michael enjoys eating Blue Bell ice cream and singing in the choir, and it was experiencing the excitement on LCU campus during Encounter that first drew Michael to LCU. Since he began his time with the Honors College, Michael has enjoyed many of the enrichment activities the Honors College provides, including watching this year’s Presidential Inauguration with many of his fellow peers. The Honors College works to expand its students’ knowledge of different cultures and ways of thinking, and Michael has taken full advantage of that and enjoyed every moment of it.

 

Zachary Long

Zachary Long hails from Forsan, Texas and is majoring in Communication Design with the hopes of going into advertising when he graduates. Zachary was initially drawn to LCU because of its small school community and Christian atmosphere, giving him the environment he wants in order to thrive. While Zachary has greatly enjoyed his time in the Honors College at LCU, his favorite experience so far has been the semester he spent studying abroad in Spain. He was able to experience a different culture and develop a deeper understanding of the world. Along with providing him with opportunities to study abroad, the Honors College has also given Zachary access to more classes, experiences, and people, giving Zachary, along with many other students, to grow as a person throughout his education.

 

Graham Young

Graham Young is a 19 year old gentleman who was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. He is currently a Biology major, and after LCU, Graham is looking to attend Dentistry School, where he will study to become a licensed physician. While Graham considered other schools, he ultimately chose LCU because the classes are personal and the professors genuinely care about each and every student, helping each one seek after the best opportunities possible. Graham is an active member of the LCU Honors College. His honors classes have challenged him both intellectually and spiritually, and he particularly enjoys Pizza in the Parlor, a fellowship the Honors College hosts once or twice a semester, because he gets time to relax with his fellow students and get to know them better. Through the Honors College at LCU, Graham has been able to grow and develop as a person, preparing him for the adventures that are to come.

 

These four are the oldest Mattox scholars, making up the First Cohort. Last year, they were excited to welcome six more Mattox scholars. These six have bonded as the Second Cohort, supporting and encouraging each other throughout their first year in college.

 

Caitlin Curtis

Caitlin Curtis has spent the past 10 years living in Vernon, Texas with her four younger brothers. She loves playing tennis, participating in Student Senate and Christliche Damen and eating butterfinger ice cream. Caitlin is currently majoring in Biochemistry with the hopes of becoming a physical therapist. From the moment Caitlin set foot on campus, she was in love with LCU. The faculty, staff, and students were all kind, and she just immediately felt at home. Since beginning her time at LCU, Caitlin has been involved with the Honors College, with her favorite event so far being Pizza in the Parlor. The Honors College also gives Caitlin access to rigorous challenging courses, which she has found super enjoyable. Caitlin loves being a part of the Honors College and is grateful for this blessing.

 

Sarah Fantinel

Sarah Fantinel is currently living in Rogers, Arkansas, although she spent her childhood moving around with her little brother and two cats.  Sarah is majoring in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, and she plans to become either a writer or a professor. When Sarah is not writing or working on her classes, she enjoys playing flute in the LCU band, participating in LOA, working in the theatre, hanging out with her friends around campus, and eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. Sarah first found out about LCU through Wikipedia. Christian values have always been important to Sarah, and so she wanted to go to a Christian school that had a degree in creative writing. After doing an extensive amount of research, Sarah discovered the Wikipedia site for all the Christian universities in the nation. From there, Sarah fell in love with LCU for its Christian emphasis, interesting and rigorous classes, and personal emphasis on each student. During her time in the LCU Honors College, Sarah has greatly enjoyed getting to meet with her peers in the Honors College or even around campus. These spontaneous meetings usually lead to a discussion or debate, which allows everyone the opportunity to grow in their thinking and to form stronger relationships with each other. These discussions also carry into the classroom, allowing all honors students to benefit from every class discussion, which Sarah greatly enjoys and appreciates. Through the Honors College, Sarah is experiencing the world differently every day through the new insights she receives from her peers and teachers, and she is grateful for the opportunity to learn at LCU.

 

Kyle Greenhaw

Kyle Greenhaw is from Sundown, Texas. Kyle loves playing trumpet in the LCU Band, working out in the Rec, participating in Kyodai, and eating cake batter ice cream. When Kyle is not participating in his extra-curricular activities, he is working towards his major in mathematics. After earning his Bachelor degree, he’s planning to transfer to WT for their acclaimed Mechanical Engineering Master’s Program. Kyle was initially drawn to LCU by the personal, Christian atmosphere. Here at LCU, everyone is a person, not a file, creating a familial atmosphere that Kyle couldn’t wait to join. While Kyle has loved participating in the Honors College’s activities and events, his favorite memory is from the Mattox selection process last year. In the Mattox selection process, 10 finalists are chosen from a pool of candidates. These finalists come to LCU to write another essay, interview, and meet the faculty, staff, and Mattox scholars. During the process, the finalists all have chances to just visit with each other, bonding over the hectic nature of the two days. Kyle loved this part of the process because he got to talk with people who were just like him about whatever they wanted to. After joining the Honors College, Kyle has taken many rigorous classes, with his favorite being the discussion based classes. Through discussions, Kyle has been able to more fully understand what the class is learning as well as understand the different viewpoints on a variety of world issues. Through the Honors College, Kyle is learning more about the world every day in a safe, Christian environment that values him for who he is.

 

Taylor Haynes

Taylor Haynes hails from Amarillo, Texas, where she grew up with two older siblings and one younger sibling. Taylor is currently majoring in social work because she wants to work with either the geriatric or special needs populations. While academics are extremely important to Taylor, she is also involved on campus as a part of Christliche Damen, a social club focused on building a strong community through sisterhood, community service, and eating ice cream. Taylor’s favorite is cookies ‘n cream. Although LCU has rigorous academics and a variety of clubs and enrichment activities to participate in, Taylor was first drawn to LCU by the positive and close-knit Christian community. Faith is incorporated into every aspect of campus life, allowing everyone to get a fully rounded education. Taylor’s heart of gold immediately melded with the campus culture, drawing her to LCU. During her time studying with the Honors College, Taylor has greatly enjoyed the enrichment she has been able to partake in. Her classes are small and discussion based, which allows her to think more critically about the topics of the class. The classes themselves are diverse, allowing Taylor to come into contact with new ideas and new people. The Honors College offers many other enrichment opportunities, including the chance to watch the political debates and inauguration with other honors students, giving the students both an exposure to culture and a building of a strong community. Through the Honors College, Taylor has been able to create deep friendships as well as further her academic dreams of helping people through social work, allowing her to develop herself into a strong Christian woman.

 

Brittany Michaleson

Brittany Michaleson is from Plains, Texas, where she grew up hanging out with friends, listening to music, and eating cookies ‘n cream ice cream. Brittany is now majoring in mass communications with the hope of one day becoming a sports reporter or new anchor. When she is not working on her academics, Brittany is involved on campus in Kappa Phi Kappa and intramurals. LCU prides itself on its focus on people, and Brittany fell in love with the atmosphere here. She loves that the professors and staff are genuinely interested in each and every student, which is ultimately what drew her to LCU. Although the Honors College takes great care in planning out enrichment activities throughout the year, Brittany’s favorite activities are the unplanned ones. Students often come into the Honors Office to hang out or take a break during the day, and Brittany has enjoyed getting to sit and talk with them in the Honors Lounge. She has made some of her best friends this way, as have many other honors students. While Brittany does enjoy hanging out in the Honors College, she also greatly enjoys her honors classes. Her classes enrich her education because they make her learn intentionally. Honors classes are not about memorizing material: they are about thinking critically. This skill will help Brittany for the rest of her life, and she is grateful for the many chances she has to practice and prepare for her career through the Honors College.

 

Josh Starr

Josh Starr was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, where he grew up playing with his two dogs and eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. He is majoring in business with the hope of either attending Law School or completing a master’s degree program in order to become an executive in a Fortune 500 Company. When Josh is not busy planning his future or working on his academics, he is participating in Koinonia, broadcasting the basketball games, lifting weights, and hanging out with friends. Since Josh grew up in Lubbock, he has been active on LCU campus for over 10 years, and he wanted to become a bigger part of the Christ-centered community. Josh knew he wanted to pursue academic excellence, and so he joined the Honors College. So far, Josh has loved his classes, with his favorite being Dr. Hawley’s Literature and Life class. In his classes, Josh is pushed with consistent academic rigor, allowing him to grow and develop in every class. The Honors College has also expanded Josh socially, giving him opportunities to contact and connect with more people. Josh has met his best friends through the Honors College, and he cannot wait to see where the Honors College takes him next.

 

 

**The Mattox Scholars during Master Follies. Michael Long is not pictured because he was performing with the choir when the picture was taken.