The National Park College (NPC) Foundation announced the recipients of the 2020 Van
Davis Memorial Scholarship. Linden-Cox and Camacho were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
Linden-Cox is a student in the Radiologic Technology program. She shared, “I am originally
from Germany and didn’t move here until after graduating high school, so I do not
receive some of the traditional help that other students get. I rely on scholarship
money to help pay for college.”
Linden-Cox’s husband was in the military and was stationed in Germany when they met.
His work required them to move often and she never had an opportunity to begin college.
In 2017, she moved to Arkansas and got involved with The Caring Place. Her work at
The Caring Place made her realize she wanted to work in a field where she could help
people. She decided to enroll in the Radiologic Technology program at NPC. “I am grateful
and honored to have been selected. This scholarship gets me one step closer to achieving
my goal,” said Linden-Cox.
Camacho is a student in the registered nursing program. She said her love for people
is what drives her desire to be a nurse. She believes the human body is amazing. “It’s
a perfect machine that we’ve got, so we need to learn how to take care of it,” she
said. She is also in the dual enrollment program with NPC and Henderson State University
(HSU) and is working toward her bachelor’s degree. She plans to eventually pursue
her master’s degree. She will graduate in May and hopes to work in Hot Springs after
graduation.
Camacho is excited about participating in this year’s race. “I am actually going to
participate, because I feel like I need to do something. I feel so honored and happy
because it is an incentive to continue to keep pushing,” said Camacho.
The Van Davis Scholarship is a competitive scholarship that is awarded to a first-generation
college student with a cumulative GPA between 2.0 and 3.5. Students are required to
complete an essay, which is reviewed by the Faculty Senate Scholarship Selection Committee.
The scholarship was created to continue the legacy established by Dr. Van Davis. Dr.
Davis was an esteemed member of the NPC faculty and Chair of the Social Sciences Division,
teaching students for nearly 38 years and inspiring them to use their drive, passion,
humor and intellect to succeed at earning college degrees. He cared for his students
deeply and shared joy in their successes as scholars and human beings. He often provided
personal scholarships to individuals in need, many of whom were first-generation college
students.
The scholarship is funded with proceeds from the Annual Van Davis Memorial 5K Run/Walk.
Over the past six years, the event has contributed more than $53,000 to the scholarship
endowment. Presenting sponsor for this year’s race is Morgan Stanley. Gold sponsors
include The Sentinel-Record, The Munro Foundation, and Levi Hospital. Bronze sponsors
include Dr. Richard Braley, Hot Springs Title Company, and US Bank. For sponsorship
information contact Nicole Herndon at 501-760-4300 or nicole.herndon@np.edu.
This year’s event is set for February 15 at 9:00 a.m. at NPC. Registration information
can be found at www.np.edu/VanDavis5K.
