Odin Robinson Memorial Honors Scholarship

The Odin Robinson Memorial Honors Scholarship has been established by Arianwen
Sharman (’24) upon her graduation from Western Colorado University to provide
scholarship assistance to Western Colorado University students.

“When I came to Western, I didn’t have a great academic record. I have two learning
disabilities and struggled a lot in high school. As an incoming student, I was awarded a
scholarship from the Honors Program, which I have now held for four years. This
scholarship not only allowed me to continue attending Western, but it gave me so much
hope for my college journey and made me feel like I could still achieve my academic
goals regardless of how I struggled in the past. In my time here at Western, and before, I
have experienced significant loss of both friends and loved ones. In the summer after my
freshman year here, my cousin died at 15 years old, whom this scholarship is named for.
This completely changed my life, and I began to fall behind in school again. Because of
the Honors Program and my motivation to work hard to continue to receive the Honors
scholarship, I was able to turn my grades around once again. I am now graduating with
Latin Honors, a Bachelor’s in Biology; Pre-Nursing, a minor in Exercise Sports Science,
and a plan to attend Nursing School in the Fall of 2025. Western, specifically the Honors
Program, took a chance on me 4 years ago, and I want to give back to this beautiful
campus community by starting a scholarship for students with a similar story to mine.”
-Arianwen Sharman, 2024

Arianwen sat on the Scholarship Review Committee for the Presidential Honors
Scholarship for the Honors Program and was able to work with the faculty on the
committee to give the scholarship to students who may not have had the best academic
record, but who had stories worth so much more; students who would contribute much
more to the Honors community than just high academic achievement.

The Odin Robinson Memorial Honors Scholarship will be awarded to students
entering/continuing in the Honors Program who may not have a perfect academic record,
but who have overcome adversity (specifically experienced a close family loss and/or
struggled with a learning disability) and who represent the values of a student who
remains driven and motivated even in the face of a challenge.

ELIGIBILITY:
A. Must be an accepted incoming or continuing student in the Honors Program
B. Must demonstrate examples of how they have overcome adversity
C. Must represent the values of a student who remains driven and motivated in the
face of a challenge