The winners of Sing Song donated their prize money to the Jinkerson Study Abroad Scholarship. Sigma Theta Chi and the senior class gave all of their $1000 winnings. Trojans donated half of their money to the scholarship.
The winners of Sing Song were each given $1000 to give the charity of their choice.
The Jinkerson Study Abroad Scholarship was formed after beloved teacher, Dr. Darryl L. Jinkerson, associate professor of management, passed suddenly on Oct. 12, 2012, at the age of 54.
Jinkerson led the study abroad program for the College of Business Administration and had taken numerous groups to Honduras, China, Australia and England. In honor of his involvement and leadership in the program, the new study abroad scholarship was made in his name. Students who may have never had the chance to see other parts of the world now have the opportunity.
Sigma Theta Chi’s Sing Song director, Jessica Welshans, senior music major from Spring, said that giving their winnings to the Jinkerson Scholarship was an easy decision.
“Two of the Jinkerson daughters, Rachel and Amanda, are both Siggies,” said Welshans. “Because they are part of our sisterhood, we would do anything to help their family and to give to the memory of their father.”
Welshans was contacted by Jinkerson’s daughter, Amanda Carpenter, to consider possibly donating the money to the Jinkerson scholarship. Welshans said she “decided immediately that it would be our scholarship- then at our first rehearsal, I announced it to the club, and it was obvious that everyone agreed.”
The senior class Sing Song director Nick Tatum, senior family studies major from Plano, said much of the senior class was close with the Jinkersons.
“A lot of seniors had interacted with Dr. Jinkerson, and his daughter, Amanda, participated in one of the class Sing Song acts in the past. It was very close to home,” Tatum said.
Trojans Sing Song director Matt Bowman, senior vocal music education major from Brookhaven, Mississippi, decided to give half of their scholarship money to the Jinkerson Scholarship.
“I know Amanda, my fiancé is friends with her, so I knew the situation pretty well. I thought the decision over with Nick Tatum. It was a group decision between all of us- It was pretty unanimous that part the money should be used for that,” Bowman said.
The other half of their scholarship money went to Lindsey Smith’s family. Lindsey Smith, a student at ACU, was killed in a car accident Jan. 25 on her way to Oplin Dance Hall. Her parents have set up a scholarship in her name.
“She was a dear friend to many of the Trojans, and our greatest inspiration for every Sing Song performance,” said Bowman.
