This award recognizes full-time students majoring in Exercise Science. Recipients must be a rising junior or senior and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. This award is named after Alexis Faupel, a 4th year Exercise and Sport Science student, who died at the age of 21 from cancer while in her last year of obtaining a bachelor’s degree.  Alexis maintained above a 3.0 GPA throughout college.  Alexis had played sports from a young age including swimming, basketball, and track and field.  She continued her love of exercise science through training at several gyms.  Her goal was to obtain a degree in Exercise Science and to incorporate that into her mission of becoming a church youth leader.  Alexis had plans to complete the degree and then enroll in a seminary school that incorporated health of the physical body, as well as the spirit.

Please help support her mission and remember Alexis by donating to this special scholarship fund.

Dr. Betty Swift dedicated her life to advancing opportunities for women in sports and physical education, leaving an incredible mark at the University of Central Arkansas and beyond. Joining UCA in 1949, she passionately taught and coached in the Physical Education/Kinesiology Department (now Exercise and Sport Science) until her retirement in 1983. Dr. Swift’s visionary leadership and mentorship were instrumental in shaping the Arkansas Women’s Extramural Sports Association, a pioneering organization that laid the foundation for women’s athletics in the state.

Dr. Swift championed hands-on learning and prepared her students for national-level officiating exams in basketball, volleyball, and softball, even during a time when women faced systemic barriers in sports. Beyond the classroom, she spent countless hours organizing events and mentoring future educators, embodying her commitment to empowering young women.

The Dr. Betty Swift Scholarship, awarded to students at UCA pursuing degrees in Exercise and Sport Science, continues her legacy by supporting future leaders in the field. Dr. Swift’s dedication, innovation, and unwavering support for her students exemplify her as a true pioneer, mentor, and advocate for women in sports and education.

Eskola Family Scholarship Fund

The Eskola Family Scholarship Fund stands as a testament to a remarkable multi-generational connection to the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). Beginning with Jim and Patti Eskola who met on campus in the 1960s, three generations of the family have found both love and education at UCA, with multiple family members dedicating their careers to public education in Arkansas. Their son Todd and his wife Kim, both UCA alumni, along with their sons Hunter and Trent, who also met their respective wives at UCA, continue this legacy. Todd and Hunter Eskola were UCA student athletes on the men’s golf team and football respectively. Trent spent four years working for UCA Athletics in their Sport Information department as a student worker. Kim has been a faculty member of the Exercise and Sport Science Department since 2005.

To honor this deep family connection and their commitment to education, the family established a scholarship fund focusing on students pursuing degrees in Exercise and Sport Science or Education fields. The scholarship particularly aims to support graduates of Joe T. Robinson High School, where Eskolas have taught for over 50 years, and targets students with GPAs between 2.5 and 3.5 who demonstrate community involvement but might not typically qualify for other scholarships or financial aid.

 

Moonlight Graham Sports Medicine Scholarship Fund

The purpose of this award is to recognize an athletic training student that exhibited leadership to the profession, an exemplary academic record and dependability in the clinical setting while in the UCA Athletic Training Program. The criteria for this award are as follows: acceptance into the UCA Athletic Training Program, maintenance of a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and membership in an athletic training student organization at the college, state, district or national level.

Award Recipients

The Ellen Epping Scholarship Fund

The Ellen Epping Scholarship honors a pioneering leader in Athletic Training education at the University of Central Arkansas. With over 35 years of experience, Ms. Epping transformed UCA’s Athletic Training program, making it the first in Arkansas to offer a Bachelor of Science degree and securing national accreditation. Her remarkable achievements include guiding the program’s transition to a master’s level, receiving the National Athletic Trainers Association Service Award, and mentoring hundreds of students who became board-certified athletic trainers. This scholarship celebrates her exceptional leadership, high standards, and lasting impact on athletic training education in Arkansas.