Twiley, Marie and Bringier Barker Scholarship Fund
Twiley Barker Sr. and his wife Marie Hudson were pioneer educators in Washington Parish. Mr. Barker served as teacher, principal, and supervisor; Mrs. Barker served as an elementary teacher and a piano teacher. Of their six children, all but one became a teacher at the public school or university level. The one who was not a teacher became a registered nurse. The family’s dedication to, and their support and reverence for education are known throughout Washington Parish, the state and beyond.
The family was motivated to start the scholarship fund following the death of the youngest sibling, Bringier Hudson Barker, who passed away on August 1, 1996. He served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and guidance counselor in Washington Parish. He was a member of the Washington Parish School Board for over twenty years. At the time of his passing, he was serving his second term as president of the School Board. In addition, during the past twenty-five years he served as Personnel Supervisor at Gaylord Container Co. in Bogalusa. During that time he fostered and worked on many projects dealing with education.
Each year, subject to availability of funds, up to four scholarships will be awarded to seniors graduating from a public high school in Washington Parish that have a 2.7 cumulative GPA and have been accepted into a university or college as a full-time student. Two of the scholarships will be a one-time, $2,000 award; the other two will be recurring scholarships. The recurring scholarship recipients will receive $2,000 each Fall semester (for a maximum of four years) provided full-time status and a 2.7 cumulative GPA is maintained.
Scholarship awards shall be used toward the following in order of priority: tuition and fees; books and supplies; room and board; and commuting expenses up to fifty dollars per month.
Applications must be submitted by May 1st.
In making its decision, the Scholarship Advisory Committee shall evaluate each eligible applicant by using the following criteria:
- Financial need
- ACT or SAT scores
- Evidence of leadership potential as displayed by participation in extracurricular activities, community service and achievements/honors
- Quality and depth of essay
- Quality of academic and personal recommendations