On Friday, June 8th, Ridgefield High School named three seniors who were each awarded the Mary Christian Jones Scholarship.
Adrienne Nicholson was given $1,500. Nicholson plans to attend Concorde Career College. Kelsi Morris was given $750 and will be attending Boise State University. The third recipient, Rylee Melvin, was also given $750 and plans to attend Western Washington University.
For almost three decades, the Mary Christian Jones Trust Fund has been awarding scholarships to deserving Ridgefield High School seniors. The fund was established in 1990 to honor Mary (McRight) Christian Jones and to further her lifelong interest in youth education.
“Mary Christian Jones was born in 1904 in a rural farm community in Mississippi. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. While teaching, she continued her education at Bowling Green College of Commerce in Kentucky and earned both a B.A. in Commercial Education and a B.S. in Commerce. After moving to Washington state, she earned a Master’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1952.”
Mary started teaching in Ridgefield in 1945. Her teachings included bookkeeping, typing, and shorthand. In 1956 She moved to Poulsbo and started teaching English and reading in the North Kitsap School District. She retired in 1969.
The scholarships are awarded to seniors who plan to attend a two or four year college or vocational school in pursuit of education. Seniors must have a 3.3 GPA, have attended Ridgefield High School for a minimum of four semesters at graduation and demonstrate a financial need for the scholarship.
