Tamara Bates Receives Conference Scholarship

 article from Philander Smith website

Our Memphis Girls Basketball players are doing more than hooping on the court. They are making a difference off the court. Former Ridgeway player, Tamara Bates is a student at Philander Smith College in Little Rock

The next blood drive on campus could be arranged by Tamara Bates, a women's basketball team member who received a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Scholarship (NAIA) sponsored by the Red Cross.

Bates, 19, a freshman from Memphis, is a biology major who earned the scholarship based on her grades, athleticism and willingness to serve the Red Cross by attending a two-week leadership academy in Washington D.C. next summer. She'll also have to at least two campus-based blood drives.

"I'm excited about this, because I have certain respect and admiration for the Red Cross," she said. "We had a fire at my apartment and my family and I lost just about everything. The Red Cross helped us a lot. This scholarship means a lot to me."

By accepting the scholarship Bates also agrees to become a Red Cross
"Champion of Character" ambassador which means she'll serve on regional and local Red Cross boards and represent the organization at conference events.