Karen M. Vaughan Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Karen Marie Vaughan, daughter of Ernie and Carol Kemmis, was born on April 26, 1971, in Billings, Montana. Karen was always an extremely bright student, attending Billings’ schools and graduating with honors from MSU Billings in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. While attending MSU Billings, she co-edited the school newspaper, the RETORT, as well as “The Rook,” an annual student publication which publishes a select group of student works. Karen was also the 2001 recipient of the prestigious Lyle Cooper Award given to the outstanding graduate in English. As a long-time employee of the Billings Gazette during her short life, Karen started in the newsroom where she was an editor and receptionist and eventually become a recruitment specialist. Karen died of an illness unexpectedly at her home on May 27, 2007, at age 36. In memory of Karen, her parents established the Karen M. Vaughan Scholarship Endowment to provide financial assistance to English majors at MSU Billings. The first scholarship was awarded in academic year 2008-2009.
Impact
“I would like to express my gratitude for being selected as the recipient of the Karen M. Vaughan Endowed Scholarship. Thank you so much. I was given the opportunity to learn about your daughter, and it sounds like she was an amazing person with a true passion for English. I am humbled to receive this scholarship. I am currently a junior at MSU Billings, studying English with an emphasis on creative writing and literature. I transferred to MSU Billings my sophomore year to be closer to home in northeastern Montana. I love that the professors and advisors at MSU Billings work with students to meet goals and personally care about their success. Once again, thank you so much for selecting me. It is truly a privilege!” — Shelby H., English major