Scholarship couldnt come at a better time

  Monday, September 14, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

When Alex Watson, a Pittsburg State University senior from LaCygne, Kan., received news that he’d won a major scholarship, his first instinct was to call his mom. But Watson’s mother, Ginger, died in April following a battle with breast cancer.

“Moments like that are tough, but we have a great family, and I called my aunt to tell her. I know my mom is proud of me,” Watson said.

Ginger Watson would be proud, indeed. Her son, a construction management major with an emphasis in civil construction, is the 2015 recipient of the $20,000 Lamberson Scholarship from the Beavers, an association of heavy engineering construction professions. The scholarship, awarded to one student annually, is named for the late John R. Lamberson, a trustee of the Beavers Charitable Trust who died in 2012.

Upon his death, Lamberson left $100,000 to the Beavers Charitable Trust, which was to be given to five construction students over five years in the form of $20,000 scholarships.

Watson said he had to read the email announcement of the scholarship several times before it sank in.

“I just kept fearing that I had misread it,” Watson said. "It seemed too good to be true."

Watson said he is “very grateful” for the scholarship, especially at this time in his life.

“It’s such a blessing,” he said. “I have four semesters left at Pitt State, and this will really help me pay for school and also for some other things I’ll need over that time. It provides a valuable emergency buffer, which will help me relax some about money and really focus on school.”

Jim Otter, chair of the Pitt State School of Construction, said Watson is “incredibly deserving” of the scholarship.

“Alex is a very bright young man, and we’re very happy for him,” Otter said. “He’s been through a lot, but he stays positive and continues to work hard toward his goal. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”

Watson, who plans to work in the highway and bridge construction industry after graduation, said being a Pitt State student has been “life-changing.”

“The teachers here are just amazing,” he said. “They’re helpful, you can communicate with them on a personal level and they truly do care about your success. It’s like having another side to your family right here at school.”