Lake Lure Classical Academy (LLCA) graduating senior Julia Cowles is the recipient of the $2,500 Momentum Scholarship awarded by the Lake Lure Community Education Foundation (LLCEF). The foundation instituted the scholarship in 2016 as a means to celebrate the first graduating class from the charter school. The scholarship is awarded through a three-part process of teacher recommendation, student application, and student interviews.

Julia Cowles of Mill Spring is formerly of Lake Lure. Through hard work and careful coordination with her teachers and counselors she graduated from LLCA with not only a high school diploma, but also an associate degree from Isothermal Community College. She will enter UNC-Chapel Hill as a junior in August to begin work towards her goal of completing her doctorate in physical therapy. She first became interested in physical therapy after undergoing therapy for her own sports-related knee injury. Upon further interest, she now works in a local physical therapy office, which has reinforced her love of physical therapy. Her dream is to return to this area to set up a physical therapy practice specializing in pediatrics. She was selected to win the Momentum Scholarship from a very impressive group of LLCA candidates.

The Momentum Scholarship is designed to ensure that selected students who have built momentum in high school are provided the chance to increase that momentum after graduation, with the ideal of maintaining momentum for lifelong learning. The scholarship may be applied toward a four-year academic degree, but may also include an associate degree, a career certificate program, or apprenticeship program that may be provided by a community college or a technical college.

For more information visit Lake Lure Community Education Foundation at www.lakelurelearning.com.

– article submitted by Esther Lusk