The Southern Arkansas University Hallman Scholarship has been awarded to two inspiring young women who will be incoming freshmen in Fall 2020.
The Hallman Scholarship is funded by SAU Foundation’s Cinda Hallman Scholarship Endowment and provides scholarships for incoming freshmen women in the College of Science and Engineering. The 2020 inductees are Mallory Bell of Rison and Kenzie Cowan of Foreman.
Mallory Bell
Mallory Bell, a graduate of Rison High School, has a family connection to math and science. Her grandmother taught math, which Mallory learned by sitting by her in classes. Her grandfather is a structural engineer at Lockheed Martin. “As I grew up, I excelled in my math and science classes,” she said. “I was talking with my counselor and she suggested I look into engineering.”
Rison High played football in Hooten’s Classic at SAU last August, and while playing in her school’s band, Bell had a chance to see firsthand the beauty of the SAU campus. “As I did more research into SAU, I knew it was God telling me this is where I need to be.”
Kenzie Cowan, an honor student-athlete and graduate of Foreman High School, chose SAU not only because it has a strong record of preparing students for graduate school, but also because of the reputation of the Science and Engineering Department.
She anticipates a great foundational education in the sciences to pursue her career. “It also helps that my sister, Kylie, is a student-athlete at SAU and has really enjoyed her time there,” Cowan said. Great professors who care about their students are another reason she looks forward to her “home away from home” experience at SAU.
Kenzie Cowan
While Bell also looks forward to great things at SAU, she plans on pursuing something worthwhile in society after she completes her undergraduate degree. “I want to go above and beyond and do something society says I can’t,” Bell explained.
She feels blessed to have received the Hallman Scholarship. “I want to thank the SAU Foundation from the bottom of my heart. I cannot say it enough. I am truly blessed and I am so thankful.”
The Scholarship has inspired her to become a role model for other young women searching for their place in the world. “I want to help them feel like they can do whatever they want,” Bell enthused. “I want to encourage them to pursue their dreams in STEM or anything else.”
Cowan said she has always wanted a career in engineering, having always loved Legos, robot kits and Lincoln Logs. “I was always inventing, designing and building things. However, during high school and as I became more involved in the community, I realized that I also want to help people. That’s when I decided to become either an occupational therapist or an optometrist.”
SAU offers a degree plan in Biology Pre-Health that can apply for both. “It also incorporates all my favorite classes and subjects in the sciences,” Cowan said. “The plan also provides me an opportunity to study Biochemistry, Genetics and Neuroscience.”
Her mother, an occupational therapist, inspired her to study the sciences. “She’s always come home with a sense of accomplishment and reward by helping others.”
Having worn glasses since a young age, Cowan said she is thankful for doctors who’ve helped her see clearly. “I would be grateful for the opportunity to provide that same service to others on a daily basis.”
Bell and Cowan join esteemed previous Hallman Scholarship recipients – Macee Lyons of Bradley, Arkansas; Mikayla Peterson of Magnolia, Arkansas; Keely Stofer, Biology major from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; Madison Byrd, Biology: Pre-Health major from Taylor, Arkansas; Leslie “Makenna” Madden, Biology: Pre-Health major from Emerson, Arkansas; Rebekah Leamons, Computer Science major from Gurdon, Arkansas; Alyssa Brown, Biology major from Fordyce, Arkansas; Elizabeth Jacobs, Pre-Veterinarian major from Texarkana, Texas; Alexandria Oliver, Biology major from Atlanta, Texas; Karissa Shackelford, Pre-Nursing major from Waldo; Jada Fricks, Chemistry major from Saratoga, Arkansas; Calla Bassett, Engineering major from Phoenix, Arizona; Bailey Romero, Nursing major from Little Rock, Arkansas; Taylor McNeel, National FFA President and SAU Agricultural Science student from Vilonia, Arkansas; and Emily Snyder, Pre-Pharmacy student from Cabot, Arkansas. Dedicated to providing opportunities for women, 1966 graduate of SAU Cinda Hallman provided funds for the scholarship through her estate. Hallman was one of four women heading Fortune 500 companies at the time of her appointment as CEO of Spherion Corporation. Before joining Spherion, Hallman had a distinguished 20-year career with DuPont. As senior vice president of DuPont global systems and processes, she had full responsibility for global information technology, processes and strategy, and corporate core managing processes. She was named Chief Information Officer of the Year by Information Week Magazine for “reshaping DuPont’s information systems organization to meet the changing competitive needs of its business units.”
