B.L.E.S.S. Awards $24,500 for the 2014 – 2015 Academic Year

The Bartlesville Lincoln Elementary School Scholarship – B.L.E.S.S. conducted their 21^st award ceremony on Friday, August 1^st at the Lincoln School building. Currently the school building constructed in 1914 is celebrating its 100^th year. The building was acquired and remodeled by Bartlesville’s own Service and Technology Corporation in 1986. The Corporation proudly occupies the old school as their head quarters. B.L.E.S.S. awarded 16 scholarships this year, the largest number so far. The function was attended by the students, parents, B.L.E.S.S. officials and friends. Key note speaker Mark Springer, a CPA from Tulsa who has been serving B.L.E.S.S. for nearly twenty years, emphasized the importance of higher education and decision making. He narrated his own experience in going to college, serving the U.S. Navy and back to college again.

Mark Knackstedt, President of B.L.E.S.S., explained that despite being a loan the interest free aspect can save several thousand dollars compared to the normal student loan. B.L.E.S.S. is a loan of $1750 per year for four years and repayment of only $100 a month without interest after four years of college or graduation. Mark further explained that the loan repayment is much shorter than the normal loans, often helping young people, at a time when they are just starting their family.

B.L.E.S.S. has awarded a total of 85 scholarships helping young people seek careers in Engineering, Technology, Science, Business, Education, Medicine, and Fine Arts. Students have attended various universities and admirably have a 100% pay back record on their loans.

After Sujatha Krishnan, long term Secretary of B.L.E.S.S. presented a brief history of the Scholarship K. Vasudevan, Chairman and Founder of B.L.E.S.S., closed the ceremony by urging the young people to complete the higher education, pursue careers, and reduce the out flow of funds from the country by the employment of foreign college graduates in the United States.