Eight Little Rock high school seniors and five teachers are recipients of the 2015 Stephens Awards that are provided by The City Education Trust.
The students are receiving $5,000 scholarships, and the teachers -- who are also from Little Rock high schools -- are are receiving $8,000 cash awards.
The student winners, their schools and their parents are: Chen-Bo Fang, Little Rock Central High School, son of Jia-Long Fang and Yu Chen; Ezra Feldman, Episcopal Collegiate School, son of Stephen Feldman and Suzanne Loerch; Sherry Gao, Little Rock Central High School, daughter of Li Tong and Xiang Gao; Elizabeth Gonzalez, Hall High School, daughter of Yamile Costillo and Alain Ramirez; Savannah Hanson, Mount St. Mary Academy, daughter of Shelley and Jeff Hanson; Amanda Muller, Little Rock Christian Academy, daughter of Susan and Jim Muller; Chandler Smith, Little Rock Central High School, son of Jennifer and Horace Smith; and Ethan Williams, Catholic High School, son of Laura and Roger Williams.
Winning teachers are: David Estes, Catholic High School; Rose Valdez, Little Rock Central High School; Terri Swedenburg, Little Rock Christian Academy; Christopher Threatt, McClellan High School; and Spencer Sutterfield, Parkview High School.
The late Little Rock financiers Jackson T. Stephens and W.R. "Witt" Stephens formed The City Education Trust in 1985 with proceeds from the sale of the Stephens' interest in Riverside Cable Television Co.
W.R. "Witt" Stephens founded Stephens Inc., a privately owned investment bank, in 1933. His brother Jackson T. Stephens later joined the company.
A reception for the 2015 Stephens Award recipients was held Monday afternoon at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Metro on 04/21/2015