FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (FWAA) – Katie Hersom, a freshman at Oklahoma State University, was named Tuesday as the eighth winner of the Volney Meece Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded annually by the Football Writers Association of America and named for the late Volney Meece. Meece served 22 years as the FWAA's executive director and was the organization's president in 1971.

The scholarship is a $1,000 annual grant for four years. It is given to a deserving son or daughter of an FWAA member.

Hersom is the daughter of FWAA member Bob Hersom, a staff writer for The Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoman is also where Meece worked for more than 40 years.

Hersom is a 2004 graduate of Putnam City North High School, where she maintained a 3.6 grade-point average. Hersom achieved a 4.0 GPA in her first semester at OSU.

A member of the National Honor Society at Putnam City North, Hersom was able to achieve academic excellence while also being heavily involved in extracurricular activities at school, within the community and her church.

"Katie has a thirst for knowledge and a desire to develop intellectually and socially," said Putnam City North principal Ray Bohannon. "Her honesty and integrity are unquestioned and she possess the values of dedication, loyalty and commitment that we as teachers wish every young person had."

Previous Meece Scholarship winners include: Bret Goering, Topeka, Kan.; Kelley Brooks, Denver, Colo.; James Butz, Schaumberg, Ill.; Sara Barnhart, Atlanta, Ga.; Patrick Davis, Coventry, Conn.; Jacqueline O'Toole, Gaithersburg, Md.; Garrett Holtz, Denver, Colo.

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• Volney Meece Scholarship