Mario Jordan, Grinnell College  |  Valley High School, West Des Moines

Thank you to the James B. Morris Scholarship for believing in me and for supporting minorities in the Fine Arts. Higher education costs a lot, and your scholarship not only allows me to continue my higher education, it also permits me to focus more on my education and less on the debt required to finish it. On top of that, scholarships supporting the Fine Arts are scarce. Scholarships supporting minorities in the Fine Arts are even scarcer. The mere existence of this scholarship reaffirms my decision to pursue a career in the Fine Arts, and I am thrilled to receive it.