Laurel Business Institute honors scholarship recipients
Laurel Business Institute has announced its 2005 scholarship winners. John D. Mihm Memorial Scholarship
Mark Felgar, a student at Connellsville Area Senior High School, won the John D. Mihm Memorial Scholarship. He has a 3.5 GPA and was named Business Student of the Month. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
Felgar plans to study network administration at Laurel Business Institute. He’s the son of David and Amy Felgar, and he lives in Connellsville.
Brittney Daniels of Connellsville Area Senior High School earned the John D. Mihm Memorial Scholarship. She has a 3.3 GPA. She was the vice president and treasurer of the French Club as well as a member of Tri-Hi-Y, Student Council, National Junior Honor Society and the gifted program. She earned an honorable mention for Exploravision and a third-place award for Envirothon.
She plans to study massage therapy at Laurel Business Institute. She lives in Connellsville, and she’s the daughter of Thomas and Patricia Daniels.
LBI’s John D. Mihm scholarship, a half-tuition award, was established in 1986 in memory of Nancy Mihm Decker’s brother who died Oct. 13, 1984, as a senior attending Southmoreland High School.
Family Scholarship
Susan Adams, a student double-majoring in medical insurance management and accounting at Laurel Business Institute, earned the Family Scholarship. She has a 4.0 GPA and has earned dean’s list honors each semester.
A graduate of Albert Gallatin Area High School, Adams was a member of the National Honor Society and the general class salutatorian. She played softball for eight years and she enjoys archery shoots. She’s the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Addis and the wife of Gary Adams. She lives in Smithfield.
Angela Davis, a medical secretary transcriptionist student with a 3.8 GPA at Laurel Business Institute, won the Family Scholarship award. At Uniontown Area High School, she was a high honors student, treasurer of the VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) Club, secretary of Student Council, and a member of the Year Book Club.
During her senior year, she earned Outstanding Student of the Year honors in the vo-tech’s cosmetology program and a perfect attendance award. She’s the daughter of Marie Davis, and she lives in Markleysburg.
The LBI Family Scholarship, a half-tuition award, recognizes the significant number Laurel students who are referred by other LBI students and alumni. These scholarships may be awarded to a family member of a current student or alumni with preference given to individuals in the nuclear family of the student or alumni.
Second Start Scholarship
Heather House, a triple major in medical insurance management, accounting and office administration at Laurel Business Institute, earned the Second Start Scholarship award for 2005. At Uniontown Area High School, she was a member of the National Honor Society, and she’s earned dean’s list honors each semester at Laurel Business Institute with a 4.0 GPA.
She has worked at Wal-Mart, The Stone House and the Herald-Standard. She’s married to Jason House and she lives in New Salem.
Priscilla Mitts, a medical assistant at Laurel Business Institute, earned Second Start Scholarship. She’s a member of the ABC Animal League of Connellsville and Partner for Prayer.
She was a union president when she worked at Anchor Hocking, and she was secretary of a work team for Rolling Rock Beer. She lives in Connellsville.
LBI established the Second Start Scholarship in 2003 to honor the difficult and often rewarding road people take in order to re-establish their lives after a difficult time has passed.
Transfer Scholarship
Nicole Turner, a small business management student at Laurel Business Institute, earned the Transfer Scholarship. She is the daughter of John and Pamela Turner, and she lives in Markleysburg.
Formerly a student at Lee University in Tennessee, Turner has a 3.14 GPA and is an active member in youth group at her church.
The LBI Transfer Scholarship, a half-tuition award, is awarded to individuals who have graduated from high school during the past three years and then decide to transfer to LBI to complete their career education.
GED Scholarship
Bridgette Stockett, a massage therapy student at Laurel Business Institute, earned a GED Scholarship for 2005. She’s a member of the West Virginia Kennel Club and she’s won in her division four times and best in class seven times.
She’s volunteered with Relay for Life in Morgantown, W.Va., and with Operation Shoebox, an initiative that sends shoeboxes filled with necessities to soldiers overseas. She is the daughter of Boyd and Shelia Powell, and she lives in Vestaburg.
In 1988, LBI established the first GED scholarship in the tri-state area. This award recognizes those who earned GEDs instead of finishing traditional high school and who realize the importance of the GED as a beginning point for resuming their education.
Ruth H. & Milton T. Decker Memorial Scholarship
Dusty Brown, a child care education student at Laurel Business Institute, earned a Ruth H. & Milton T. Decker Memorial Scholarship. She currently holds a 3.82 GPA and has earned dean’s list for three semesters.
She’s the daughter of Peggy Skala and the late Michael Churby. She’s engaged to Michael Snyder Sr., and she has a son, Bernard Brown Jr. She lives in Uniontown.
Debra Dzambo, a child care education student at Laurel Business Institute, earned a Ruth H. & Milton T. Decker Memorial Scholarship. She’s earned dean’s list honors each semester and a perfect attendance award.
She’s the daughter of Gerald and Maryanne Libengood. She’s the wife of Thomas Dzambo and she has a daughter, Jessica. Dzambo lives in Mount Pleasant.
LBI, along with the Community Foundation of Fayette County, established this scholarship in honor of Ruth and Milton Decker, the parents of LBI founder and President Christopher Decker and his two sisters, Diane French and Dr. Marta Bugaile. Ruth Haney Decker was an elementary and special education teacher. Milton Teal Decker was also a teacher and coach for many years.
Each of these merit-based scholarships are awarded based on performance as measured by class rank, grade point average or GED score, attendance, assessment scores, biographical questionnaire, scholarship reference form, essay and also a personal interview.