Scholarship Connections

Every year, Hardin-Simmons University hosts its Scholarship Luncheon. This is a special opportunity to connect current students receiving scholarships to the donors who fund those scholarships. It is a way for students to meet their financial guardian angels and thank them for impacting their lives. It’s also a way for donors to share their stories with current students and explain the significance of their various scholarships. This lunch provides space for life-long relationships to form and to be reminded how powerful it is to invest in each other.

Sherry (Ballew) Barsch ’63 and Cindy (Ballew) Loutherback ’67

Attending Hardin-Simmons University was a family affair for sisters Sherry (Ballew) Barsch ’63 and Cindy (Ballew) Loutherback ’67. Not only did they attend HSU, their parents, future spouses, and aunt also attended. Hailing originally from Sweetwater, Texas, they shared, laughing, that their time at HSU overlapped with their mother. “Mom would still be on time to class driving from Sweetwater, while Cindy would be late walking from Behrens.”

Cindy and Sherry are blessed with beautiful spirits, pioneering women who have impacted countless others with their careers as teachers, involvement in their churches, and overall presence. They have funded scholarship opportunities for multiple institutions through hard work and dedication.

In 2011, the sisters lovingly created an endowed scholarship to honor their late brother, Andrew (1943-1961). Andrew passed away before college, unable to attend HSU like the rest of his family. With the thought, “Andy needed his time at HSU, too,” the sisters created the Andrew Holt Ballew Memorial Scholarship.

The Andrew Holt Ballew Memorial Scholarship celebrates Andy’s life and legacy. Considerate, brave, determined, achiever, and unforgettable Christian are adjectives used in describing Andy. He contracted polio at age eight, and regardless of Andy’s many physical hardships, his upbeat attitude was inspirational, impacting everyone he met. In the spring of his junior year of high school, Andy was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Despite the amputation of his leg, the cancer spread and claimed his life during his senior year. Andy learned to walk a total of seven times in his young life and was never heard to say the words “I can’t.”

Dr. Leila Rubio, MD ’14

In 2011, the first recipient of the Andrew Holt Ballew Memorial Scholarship was Leila Rubio, M.D ’14. Leila met Cindy and Sherry during a scholarship luncheon and is an example of the power scholarships have on lives. “I grew up in a humble family. My parents immigrated to the USA, so my siblings and I are first-generation Americans. My parents provided us as much as they could, but we didn’t have much money,” Leila shared. “When I was a high school senior planning to go to college, I did not have sufficient funds to pursue my dreams. However, God seemed to know what he was doing with me because he opened all the doors to get me where I am now. I was blessed by the generosity of several scholarship donors who saw my potential. After almost ten years since I attended Hardin-Simmons University, I am still in contact with several donors who helped me. I call them my scholarship families because that’s what I’ve become to them.”

After graduating from HSU, Leila kept in touch with Cindy and Sherry. While Leila attended medical school, the Ballew family again blessed her with scholarship money. Leila added, “We kept in touch via text messages and holiday cards, and occasionally Sherry and I even met up in person for lunch. The Ballew family has held a special place in my heart, and I will forever be grateful to them.”

Leila advises current students: “If you are blessed with scholarship money, don’t take it for granted. These families are selecting you. They are investing in your career so you can do bigger and better things for the communities around you.”