Sister Norma Bourdon, D.H.S., director of Saint Edmund’s Learning Center, recently presented $30,000 worth of scholarship aid to some twenty-nine deserving students.

The awards varied in size from $500 to $2,500.

The Frank Casey Scholarship was awarded to Felisca Maull, a senior at Selma High School.

Felisca plans to attend the University of South Alabama.

The Nelson B. Ziter Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Sharrise Olds. Sharisse, a senior at Selma High, will be attending Concordia Community College Selma.

The Ruth E. Bahosh Scholarship was awarded to Terrance Platt, a resident of Wilcox County who is presently attending Emory University.

The GED Scholarship was awarded to Devonte Carmichael, who plans to attend Wallace Community College Selma.

Among the 25 other students who received Edmundite grants to assist with their college education were were Shakerha Allen, Roosevelt Byrd, Rophielle Fuller, Dianna Johnson, Kendra Jordan, Cynthia Kaylor, Krystle Keebler, La Dorian King, Venice Mims, Tawonga Moyo, Nileya Nettles, Ijoema Okeke, Kimberly Olds, Sherika Olds, Tona Oliver,

Krystal Qualls, Jessica Seay, Alesha Smith, Roshanda Smith, Erica Sturdevant, Myesha Tolbert, Alftan Turner, Roderick West Jr., Brandon Wooten and Alan Worrell.

The scholarships are open to residents of the four central Alabama counties where the Edmundite Missions offer programs (Dallas, Lowndes, Monroe and Wilcox).

The Edmundite priests and brothers have been working in Selma since 1937, when they accepted the urging of Pope Pius the Eleventh to undertake a speical apostolate to the African Americans of the Deep South.

Over the years they have been joined by sisters from several different congregations in their “Rainbow Apostoalte,” which serves the poor of all races, colors, creeds and social backgrounds.

In addition to the Saint Edmund’s Learning Center in Selma, the Missions also sponsor learning centers in Pine Apple in Wilcox County and Vredenburgh in Monroe.