May 4, 2009 — Applications for Ruby Rutnik scholarships are due May 15, Ruby Rutnik's mother, Janet Cook-Rutnik, said Monday.
Several scholarships are available. A $2,500 college scholarship goes to a St. John woman who has lived on the island for five years or more, or whose family has lived on St. John for five years or more.
The successful applicant is eligible to receive an additional scholarship for the following year if she is in good standing at her college, Cook-Rutnik said.
An additional $2,500 scholarship is available to a girl from the school that won the April 17 and 18 Ruby Rutnik Memorial Softball Tournament. This year, Elmore Stoutt High School on Tortola won the tournament.
And pre-school and lower-school students attending Ruby Rutnik's alma mater, Gifft Hill School, are eligible to apply for a $2,500 scholarship. She was in the first class of students at the school, then called Pine Peace School.
Successful scholarship applicants will receive notice by June 1.
Since its start in 1997, the scholarship fund has awarded $86,000 worth of scholarships to 23 people, Cook-Rutnik said.
While the Ruby Rutnik Softball Tournament has its roots in her prowess as a softball pitcher at Antilles School, Cook-Rutnik said that the scholarships came about because her daughter excelled at American University in Washington, D.C. She was working on her bachelor's degree at the university's School of International Studies with a concentration on peace and conflict resolution when she died in a car wreck at age 21. Her focus of studies was Africa.
"And Ruby was a scholarship recipient," her mother said.
Ruby Rutnik received the Terence A. Todman scholarship, Cook-Rutnik said.
College students may get scholarship applications at Connections in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay, or by calling Cook-Rutnik at 693-8069. To apply for a scholarship to the Gifft Hill School, call Beth Knight at 776-6595 or Beth Jones at 776-1730.
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