Who was Melinda Jean Tillett?
In the mid-1990s Melinda Jean Donawick-Tillett began visiting the Tillett Guest Ranch located near Lovell, Wyoming. In 1998 she moved to Lovell to marry William Earl Tillett. Her daughter, Billie Katelyn Tillett was born in 1999. In 2007 Melinda and Will adopted two other daughters, Richellena Rule, then 8-years-old, and Freedom Rule, 6-years-old. The family resided on a farm just east of Lovell on Route 14A.
Melinda became a cherished and respected friend and confidant of many residents, families and business people in the region. Her smile and laugh were infectious and brightened everyone’s day. The Tillett front door was always open to friends, acquaintances, and even strangers just passing by. Inside there was always space at the table, a fresh pot of coffee brewing, and a gourmet meal for sharing.
Melinda was active in Lovell community activities and freely shared her time, knowledge, skills and facilities with the community and its residents. She was an accomplished equestrian and horse trainer and her proactive nature and knowledge saved many valuable local horses and cattle stricken by disease or accident. She was an avid hunter and was proud to have taken a mountain lion, black bear and a large non-typical mule deer in her beloved Pryor Mountains. She loved being a part of the traditional lifestyle in Wyoming and Montana.
In 1991 Melinda joined the family business and continued her association with International WIN, Ltd., based in Pennsylvania, from her Lovell office. She served as Vice-President and director of sales and marketing until her untimely death on December 14, 2009. Her business skills, talents and experience enabled the company, which manufactures and sells unique products for the veterinary profession, to be recognized by Inc. Magazine in 2008 and 2009 as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America.
Melinda was born April 26, 1969 in Wilmington, Delaware and grew up in eastern Pennsylvania in the West Chester area. At an early age she developed a love for animals and especially horses. As a young girl, Melinda spent many hours with her father, a veterinary surgeon, while he was teaching veterinary medical students at the University of Pennsylvania. She watched closely and absorbed many of the skills he was teaching the students.
In her late teens, and on her own, she traveled to Africa to hunt big game including lion, sable antelope, gemsbok and Cape buffalo. In her early adult years, when a woman trainer of race horses was a rarity, she had her own Thoroughbred racing stable. She used her wealth of knowledge to successfully rehabilitate and race horses in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Above all things, Melinda pursued her dreams and lived life on her terms. She was an inspiration to many people. She knew the value of, and believed strongly in, education of young people. We sincerely believe it would have given her great pleasure to inspire local young people to continue their education and pursue their dreams. It is in that spirit that the Melinda Jean Tillett Scholarship Endowment Fund has been created -- to perpetuate her memory and foster that spark in youth that leads to greatness
Scholarship Purpose
The purpose of the Melinda Jean Tillett Memorial Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to graduates of Lovell High School, Wyoming planning to further their education at a post-secondary, educational institution (university, college, community college). This scholarship is limited to students interested in pursuing a degree in business/finance or the sciences. The Selection Advisory Committee considers a student’s academic record, achievements, and the student’s participation in community and extra-curricular activities.
Eligibility Criteria
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Geographic requirements: Graduates of Lovell High School, Wyoming.
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Area of Interest requirement: Students must have an expressed interest in the fields of business or science.
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Academic Requirements: No minimum GPA is required.
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Number and Duration of Awards: One scholarship of at least $3,000 will be awarded in 2010.
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Payment of Scholarship: The scholarship is made payable directly to the educational institution to be applied toward the student’s tuition and fees.
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Other Awards: This scholarship may be accepted in addition to other awards, provided that the combined amount does not exceed the full amount of tuition, books, fees, supplies and equipment required for courses at the educational institution.
Terms of the Award
- A recipient must be enrolled as a full-time student throughout each term. Full-time summer school attendance may be counted as one of the terms if sufficient credits are earned.
- If the student receives funds from the school due to non-completion of a term or not attending full-time, those funds are to be returned to the Wyoming Community Foundation. If the school requirements are not met, but there is no refund, the scholarship grant shall be forfeited for the next term.
- The names of the recipient will be announced by May 30. Each candidate will receive an individual letter informing him/her of the status of the application.
Application Information
Application forms can be obtained from the office of the Lovell High School Guidance Counselor and online at the Wyoming Community Foundation (www.wycf.org) website. Please be thorough and concise in your answers; your writing skills will help the Selection Advisory Committee with its evaluation of your credentials and will be an indication of your potential for success in future training. In addition to the completed application, a transcript of credits is required. All forms must be fully completed and received by the Wyoming Community Foundation, 313 So. 2nd St., Laramie, WY 82070, by March 1.
Late applications will not be considered.
Download Application (Microsoft Word .doc file, 178 KB)
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