Richard Walp wins full MSU scholarship

Olney High School graduate Richard Walp won a full scholarship to Midwestern State University from among 159 applicants for The Priddy Scholars Program. He plans to study music. Mr. Walp credits Valorie Mahler for alerting him to the program, and Olney High School counselor Courtney Wells for helping him with the application. His essay on perseverance got him into the semi-final round of 30 applicants, who then sat for Zoom interviews, he said. He chose to write about perseverance. “My dad is a single dad, and the poverty rate in Olney is [high],” he said. “There are a lot of people who are struggling and to do the things I have done from Olney is pretty cool.”

After making it through the application process to the final round, Mr. Walp attended a dinner at MSU on May 12, where he and other applicants were interviewed during a dinner by graduates of the Priddy Scholars Program. Three weeks later, he got a call on his way home from the UIL State Solo Competition informing him that he had won a place in The Priddy Scholars Program.

“I’m hoping as a music person overall to be more experienced,” he said. “That’s what I really like to do and I want to get better at that. I love [musical theatre] and I want to show that to the world and show people I can do that.