Wichita Heights High School senior Marcus McNeal has been named the Linwood Sexton Scholarship recipient at Wichita State University for 2009-2010.

The four-year scholarship provides full tuition, books, fees and on-campus housing, opening the door for McNeal to attain a college education.

McNeal said that, to him, a college degree “represents the past, the present and the future.”

At Wichita Heights he was involved in Peer Leaders, Falcon Leadership Council, Students United, the Mayor’s Youth Council, Spanish Honor Society and track and field. McNeal did all of this while achieving a 3.5 grade point average.

McNeal looks forward to enrolling at Wichita State in the fall where he plans to major in political science or engineering. He hopes one day to become a politician.

McNeal was also named a 2009-2010 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 consists of scholarship coordinators from the W. Frank Barton School of Business, the College of Education and Sexton.

Each applicant is required to write a one-page essay on why he/she should be the recipient of the award.