CARTHAGE, Mo. — Shawna Ackerson, a graduate of Carthage High School, has received the Foster Care Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Ackerson, the daughter of Patsy McQuade and Stewart and Nancy Johnson, will attend Missouri Southern State University this fall, where she plans to pursue a Master of Science in justice studies.
“As a former foster youth, this recognition holds immense significance for me, symbolizing the power of resilience, determination and hope,” Ackerson said.
The Foster Care Scholarship Fund was established in 2020 by Amy Holand to benefit graduating high school or current college students from the CFO’s service region who have aged out of the foster care system.
The CFO and its regional affiliate foundations — including the Carthage Community Foundation — hold about 480 scholarship funds, established by generous donors to help students from across central and southern Missouri achieve their goals of higher education. The application period for the 2024–25 school year will open Jan. 1, 2024, and run through mid-March. For more information, visit cfozarks.org/scholarships.
Founded in 1973, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is marking its 50th anniversary in 2023 as the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving a network of donors, regional affiliate foundations and nonprofit partners across central and southern Missouri through its mission of resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.
