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K-State Today

May 9, 2017

Waters receives Mortar Board award

Submitted by Tiffany Roney

Brooke Waters, senior in secondary education, Salina, has received the eighth annual Michael E. Brown Alpha Tau Omega Mortar Board Leadership Scholarship.

The $1,000 scholarship was established in 2009 to recognize Michael E. Brown, who has been K-State's Alpha Tau Omega Endowment Fund Treasurer for more than 30 years and was the K-State Mortar Board advisor for 13 years.

Waters is the director of communications for K-State's chapter of Mortar Board, which is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors who stand out in three areas: academics, leadership and service.

"I was surprised and humbled that I was chosen to receive the scholarship," Waters said. "My involvement with Mortar Board has given me the opportunity to meet great people from across campus who have similar values and reach the campus and community in new ways. I love serving, and this gave me an outlet to do that."

Waters was selected for the scholarship by a three-person committee: Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students; Bill Muir, president of the Alpha Tau Omega Endowment Fund; and Mary Tolar, director of the Staley School of Leadership Studies.

"Brooke is always ready to assist, step in or take the lead in contributing to Mortar Board's activities," Tolar said. "Her quiet, positive leadership was essential to her class's remarkable success this year."

In addition to Waters' communications position with Mortar Board, she has held offices in the K-State Marching Band, Kappa Delta Pi and the Snyder Leadership Legacy Fellows. She also is an ambassador for the College of Education.

Waters was named Marching Band Assistant Section Leader of the Year in 2015. She also has received the College of Education's Semester Star Award, the Kansas Board of Regents' Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship and the Goss Discovery Scholarship, which she used to study abroad in the Czech Republic in spring 2015.

Waters said the scholarship came at a providential time because she has not been able to earn income because she is student teaching this semester.

"With the help of this scholarship, I will be able to spend more time focusing on planning for my upcoming classroom," Waters said. "I look forward to serving and leading my students and using what I have learned at K-State to help them become the best they can be."

Waters, who is obtaining minors in leadership studies and mathematics, is the daughter of Jeff and Karla Waters.