Wichita North High School graduate Tyler Minnis was recently named the Linwood Sexton Scholarship recipient at Wichita State University for 2010-2011.

The four-year scholarship provides full tuition, books, fees and on-campus housing, and has opened the door for Minnis to attain a college education. Minnis comes from a single parent home and considers her mother to be the role model who taught her the "importance of determination and the ability to overcome." She says she would not be the person she is today had she not learned the importance of strength and perseverance through the daily example of her mother.

At Wichita North, Minnis was captain of the volleyball team, president of the National Honor Society and involved in the bio-med program. She also co-created a book drive that began in her sophomore year and continued through her senior year to provide books at Christmas for Horace Mann Foreign Language Magnet school students.

Minnis was a leader both inside and outside the classroom, staying involved in extracurricular activities, while maintaining a 3.8 grade point average. She looks forward to attending Wichita State in the fall where she plans to major in business. She hopes one day to pursue a career in sales and marketing "because I love being around and interacting with people." Minnis was also named a 2010-2011 WSU Dean's Scholar.

The Linwood Sexton Scholarship is a general scholarship with preference for those majoring in business or education. Sexton, a Wichita State legend in football, is a member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Incoming freshman applicants must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and demonstrate financial need. All students are eligible to apply, but preference is given to minority students.

The scholarship is automatically renewed as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress. The application review process is done by Sexton and scholarship coordinators from the W. Frank Barton School of Business and the College of Education.

Each applicant is required to submit various scholarship materials, including a one-page essay on why he/she should be the recipient of the award.