Glass-forming student receives scholarship

Jesse England, a senior glass-forming major from Council Grove, was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Inc.

“I heard about the scholarship from a friend and decided to apply. Usually there are not many scholarships for students in our program. I was extremely excited when I learned I received the scholarship,” England said.

England was not only excited about receiving the $1,000 scholarship, but was also excited because of the possibility of the scholarship being endowed and awarded to an ESU student every year.

“The scholarship is usually not awarded until April, but Charlie Illk, president of the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America Inc., was so impressed with my work that he decided to award the scholarship to me right away,” England said. “Mr. Illk is hoping to make this scholarship an annual endowed scholarship for ESU glass students. That is a big plus for our program. We have one of the top glass programs in the world and we are often overlooked. This is a great opportunity for the students in our program and for the program overall.”

England is one of twelve ESU glass-forming students that have work on display at the Millennic Glass Gallery in Kansas City until Dec. 22.

“This program produces excellent students that compete with some of the top students in the world. Their work has won numerous awards and have been displayed in a number of galleries and businesses,” said Patrick Martin, associate professor who teaches the glass-forming courses. “This scholarship will help our students continue to be successful in the arts and bring recognition to our excellent program.”

The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America, Inc. is an association dedicated to learning more about Fenton glass. It is neither controlled nor sponsored by the Fenton Art Glass Company. The office of this non-profit, educational collectors' club is located in Williamstown, West Virginia.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>