Colorado State University Student Awarded Jackie Robinson Scholarship

A Colorado State University student was presented a Jackie Robinson Scholarship this month at Coors Field by the baseball legend’s daughter, Sharon Robinson.

April Garrison, a freshman studying biological sciences at Colorado State, will benefit from one of 50 scholarships awarded this year to students across the nation by the Jackie Robinson Foundation. The 50 scholarships celebrate the 50th anniversary of Robinson breaking the major-league baseball color barrier. The scholarships were awarded on the basis of leadership skills and academic excellence.

"I might not have been able to go to college without this scholarship," said Garrison. "I’m extremely appreciative of the foundation and the opportunity it’s given me."

Garrison is from Colorado Springs and attended Falcon High School where she was an outstanding student involved in the National Honor Society, soccer and choir. Garrison also attended Del Rio High School in Texas, where she was involved in Junior ROTC. Garrison’s hopes for the future include attending medical school and becoming a pediatrician.

The Jackie Robinson Foundation is a public not-for-profit national educational foundation established in 1973, the year after Robinson died. Every year the foundation awards Jackie Robinson scholarships to minority high-school seniors who show exceptional promise and have a demonstrated financial need. Jackie Robinson scholarship recipients are eligible to receive support for four years of college. The foundation is currently supporting 169 Jackie Robinson scholars attending universities across the country.