The McKinley High Alumni Association has named eight McKinley High Seniors who will receive the 2019 Dr. Harrison D. Lawless Awards.

The eight recipients will receive $1,000 each from the Alumni Association to be used to help defray the cost of their college education. The Alumni Association presented six awards in 2018.

Lawless, a 1928 McKinley graduate, is noted for his commitment to the education of young people in Louisiana and for his exemplary work at Southern University in Baton Rouge as Dean and Coordinator of Freshmen Students.

The students to receive the one-time scholarships are: Amari Ross, Asiah Lee, Ashley Jones, Dareon Verret, Alexis Foster, Shekinah Escort, Evan Jupiter and Carter Tucker.

The Alumni Association congratulates the recipients.

To qualify for the awards, students had to provide a copy of their school transcript to confirm their Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.5. They were required to write an essay detailing their educational goals and provide information on their school activities and involvement in school and community organizations.

There is also a requirement of financial need verification which includes other scholarship offers the students has earned.