Willow Springs grad receives Alternative Education Scholarship

Yuri Cruz, a 2022 graduate of Willow Springs High School, has been selected to receive the Alternative Education Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The $1,000 scholarship will help Cruz's efforts to continue her education. 

Cruz is attending Missouri State University to pursue study of pre-med, with a major in biology and minor in business.

"I am so honored to have received the opportunity to represent this scholarship with my future endeavors," Cruz says. "This scholarship helps me with getting a step closer to my dreams and shows the people in my community that no matter where you come from, you can do whatever you set your mind to. It shows how much personal hard work can make up for any disadvantages someone may have in pursuing a higher education. I am so excited for what this fall semester has to offer and I am thankful for the ability to pave the way for other kids who have struggled like me."

Alex and Kathy Primm established the Alternative Education Scholarship Fund in 2012 to support a graduating high school senior who has been or currently is in foster care or is currently homeless.

The CFO is a regional public charitable foundation with total assets of $375 million as of June 30, 2022. The CFO works to advance philanthropy through a network of private donors, 53 affiliate foundations and more than 650 nonprofit partners throughout its service region south of the Missouri River.