McMurry president speaks at scholarship luncheon
The Kiwanis of Abilene Foundation recently awarded $1,500 scholarships to five students. Pictured from left are Luke Schonerstedt, Wylie High School; McKenzie Hamon, Jim Ned High School; Khole Balvantin, Cooper High School; Katie Solis, Cooper High School; and Isis Salazar, Cooper High School. (Photo by Andrew Carlson/Kiwanis Club of Abilene)
McMurry University President Dr. Lynn Murray challenged a group of Abilene’s top academic achievers to embrace uncertainty, persist through self-doubt and invest in others as she delivered the keynote address at the Kiwanis of Abilene Foundation’s annual scholarship luncheon.
Five students were awarded $1,500 scholarships: Luke Schonerstedt, Wylie High School; McKenzie Hamon, Jim Ned High School; and from Cooper High Schoo, Khole Balvantin, Katie Solis and Isis Salazar.
Also recognized at the luncheon were the valedictorians and salutatorians from Abilene High School, Academy for Technology, Engineering, Math & Science (ATEMS), Cooper High School and Wylie High School.
Dr. Lynn Murray
In her speech, Murray, who became McMurry’s 11th president in January 2025, drew on her own experience as a first-generation college student to connect with the scholarship recipients gathered in the room.
“As a first-generation college student, I speak from my heart — that kind of belief changes lives,” she said. “It changes the trajectory of someone’s life and changes families, communities.”
She opened her remarks with the story of a student who walked across the McMurry commencement stage just days earlier — a young woman who had once doubted whether college was truly within her reach.
“She wasn’t sure if college was really for someone like her, not because she lacked ability, but because she wasn’t sure the opportunity would be there,” Murray said. “Someone believed in her, someone invested in her, and someone looked at her and said, ‘You belong here.’ And today she’s thriving, confident, engaged, and stepping into a future she wasn’t once sure she was allowed to imagine.”
Murray told the students that while their academic records earned them a place in the room, what they do next depends on something deeper.
“Your GPA may open a door, but your character is what determines what happens once you walk through it,” she said. “The scholarship you received is not just recognition — it reflects your perseverance, your discipline, your ability to keep going even when things were so tough you thought you couldn’t.”
She urged the graduates not to measure themselves against peers who appear to have everything figured out — pointing out that nobody in the room actually does.
“The students who succeed are not always the ones who have everything figured out,” Murray said. “They’re the ones who keep going when everything seems like it isn’t. They ask questions, they take chances, they allow themselves to grow, even when growth is uncomfortable.”
Murray also highlighted a new partnership between McMurry University and Abilene Independent School District, offering automatic admission for eligible seniors and scholarship awards of up to $20,000. “When barriers are removed, standards are not lowered — possibility is expanded,” she said.
Closing her remarks, Murray challenged the scholarship recipients to eventually pay the investment forward.
“One day, sooner than you think, you’ll be sitting on the other side of a moment like this, and you will have the opportunity to invest in someone else, to encourage them, to support them, and to believe,” she said. “And when that moment comes, say yes — because that is how communities like this continue to thrive.”
Jessica Roberts, a sophomore at Baird High School, received the Kiwanis Club of Abilene’s Sophomore of the Year Scholarship, recognized for her leadership, service, and character. Larry Kentz presented the award at a recent Kiwanis luncheon. Jessica is involved in volleyball, basketball, cheerleading, track, data club, student council and FFA. She also works with Operation Stock Show, where she assists children with special needs. Randy Roewe and Larry Kentz are pictured with Jessica. (Photo by Andrew Carlson/Kiwanis Club of Abilene)
