The Dick Melvin family awarded Mineola seniors Maggie Estrada and Alexis Villeda the initial scholarships of the newly-created Sharon Melvin Memorial Scholarship, last Wednesday at Mineola High School. 

The family patriarch, Dick Melvin, spoke eloquently about his late-wife Sharon’s passion for education, and how the scholarship fund will be the most fitting manner to honor her memory.

“This will continue her legacy for years to come by enabling young people to achieve their future goals,” Melvin stated.

Sharon Dianne Melvin graduated with the Mineola High School class of 1971, having attended Mineola schools for 12 years, and was also an honors graduate at Texas A&M-Commerce. She unexpectedly passed this spring while battling leukemia. 

Daughters Jaime Jackson and Ashley Blackwell, son-in-law Luke Blackwell and grandson Jase Blackwell were present for the awarding of the initial scholarships. 

After fighting through some emotional remarks, and coming to joke about Sharon’s numerous guidelines for growing up, Melvin related how three generations of the family have completed, or attended, school at Mineola.

“We are pretty vested in this school,” he stated. 

Blackwell also addressed the two recipients, “You were not randomly selected to be here today. You were selected for this endowment because of the recommendations of your teachers and coaches. Your effort led you here today and we are all very proud of you.”

Estrada will be commencing studies at Tyler Junior College and has her sights set on a career in acting. Villeda will attend Tarleton State University in the agriculture program.

Each will receive a Sharon Melvin Memorial scholarship in the amount of $1,000 from the Melvin family.