Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs announced its 2025-2026 College Scholarship Program recipients at a special luncheon hosted in the Reynolds Room at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith on Monday, June 9, 2025.
Former Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs member and previous scholarship recipient Blake Rickman was the banquet guest speaker. In addition to serving as the vice chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UAFS Foundation at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith since 2019, Rickman is also a former “Club Kid” and scholarship recipient. In his speech, Rickman highlighted the importance of investing in the futures of our youth.
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact a scholarship can have. I received the June and Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship, and it was vital to my ability to pay for college,” Rickman said. “I now have the privilege of working every day, in my hometown, to make that same impact possible for students at UAFS.”
The scholarship recipients and the FSBGC Board of Directors were in attendance along with UAFS representatives. The university’s matching program offers a 100% first-year match to all recipients attending UAFS, meaning FSBGC scholarship recipients double their scholarships when they attend the university.
“At the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Beth Presley, CEO of the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs. “Thanks to the generous support of our donors, our college scholarship program is helping to remove financial barriers and open doors to higher education. These scholarships are more than just funding—they are a vote of confidence in the bright futures of our youth.”
The scholarship program, started in 1985, has awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships to 404 individual club members through over 1,000 awards. For the 2025-2026 academic year, FSBGC has awarded $64,100 in scholarships to 32 recipients, including 10 new recipients and 22 renewal recipients.
Scholarships are awarded based on a variety of factors including Boys & Girls Clubs participation, academic excellence, and financial need. The program is one of the largest of any Boys & Girls Clubs organization in the country.
2025- 2026 FSBGC College Scholarship Program New Recipients
1. Ian Caldarera – Is an assistant Basketball Coach for 1st and 2nd graders at the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Business. Graduate of Northside High with a 3.8 GPA. Dave and Danielle Dixon Scholarship
2. Jude Daniels – 2025 Youth of the Year Nominee. Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 11 years and serves as a soccer ref volunteer. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Business and Finance. Graduate of Southside High School with a 3.7 GPA. June and Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
3. Carson Dobbs – Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 12 years, where he has played football, basketball and baseball. He will be a Freshman at University of Central Arkansas where he plans to study Sports Medicine. Graduate of Southside High School with a 4.14 GPA. June and Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
4. Drake Grimm – Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 12 years, where he has played basketball and run the scoreboard for basketball games at our Goldtrap-Gardner Unit. Works as a Youth Development Professional at our Evans Unit. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Business. Graduate of Southside High School with a 3.5 GPA. Coach Bill and Jean Crowder Memorial Scholarship and Vicki Jones Memorial Scholarship
5. Elijah Kareus – Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 9 years. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Education. Graduate of Southside High School with a 3.9 GPA. Steven D. Jenkins Memorial Scholarship
6. Dylan Kelley – 2025 Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year Nominee. Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 12 years and is currently a YDP at our Evans Unit and a K-2 youth basketball coach. He will be a Freshman at University of Central Arkansas where he plans to study Exercise Science. Graduate of Southside High School with a 3.7 GPA. June and Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
7. Joseph Kincannon – 2025 Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year and
represented us at the State Capital. Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 12 years. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas where he plans to study Chemical Engineering. Graduate of Southside High School with a 4.39 GPA. Bobby Needham Sr. Memorial Scholarship
8. Cameron Massey – Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 12 years and has been involved in our basketball and football programs since 2013. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Education. Graduate of Northside High School with a 3.9 GPA.
Molly and Jack Grober Memorial Scholarship
9. Dominic Parkinson – 2025 Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year Nominee. Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 13 years at our Goldtrap Unit where he attended our after school program and eventually became a Rinky Dink basketball coach. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Criminology and Welding. Graduate of Southside High School with a 3.6 GPA. Sean Amos Memorial Scholarship
10. Miles Selby – Has been a Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs member for 8 years, where he participated in basketball and football, as well as served as a volunteer athletic coach his senior year. He will be a Freshman at University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he plans to study Education. Graduate of Southside High School with a 4.24 GPA. June and Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
2025- 2026 FSBGC College Scholarship Program Renewal Recipients
1. Valerie Alvarado-Mora – Currently works for the Stephens Unit as a Youth Development Professional. Is a Sophomore at UAFS majoring in Dental Hygiene. Graduate of Northside High School. Wade Walker Family Scholarship
2. Luke Barrie – Is a Senior at University of Arkansas where he majors in Business Administration. June & Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
3. Addi Branham – 2022 Evans Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year. Is a Senior at UAFS majoring in Dental Science. Kate & Hugh Maurras Scholarship and Savers Scholarship
4. Kobe Branham – Attended the Jeffrey-Glidewell unit for 14 years and was the 2024 Jeffrey-Glidewell Youth of the Year. He will be a Sophomore at University of Arkansas-
Fayetteville where he plays football and studies Biology. Janice H. & Robert M. Powell Scholarship
5. Alexa Crowder – Evans Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year 2023 and captured the Arkansas State Youth of the Year honor. Is a Junior at University of Arkansas- Fayetteville majoring in Elementary Education. Kim & John McFarland Scholarship and Coach Bill and Jean Crowder Memorial Scholarship
6. Jett Frazier – 2022 Jeffrey Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year. Is a Senior at Carl Albert State College majoring in Criminal Justice. Mollie & Jack Grober Memorial Scholarship
7. Sebastian Garcia – Is a Junior at University of Arkansas and majors in Exercise Science. Meek Family Foundation Scholarship
8. Jordian Green – Works for the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs Jeffrey-Glidewell Unit as a youth development professional. Is a Senior at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK and majors in Accounting. Stuart C. Crews Memorial Scholarship
9. Kaiden Kuykendall – Is a Junior at UAFS majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Janice H. & Robert M. Powell Scholarship
10. Cassidy Langwell – Attended the Evans Unit for 12 years and was the 2024 Evans Youth of the Year. She is a Sophomore at the University of Arkansas where she majors in Business. Stewart C. Crews Memorial Scholarship
11. Brennen Linson – A Junior at University of Arkansas Fort Smith majoring in Finance. Robert A. Young IV Memorial Scholarship
12. Alexander Naegle – Is a Senior at Ouachita Baptist University and majors in Business Administration.. Bobby Needham Sr. Memorial Scholarship
13. John Parkinson – 2024 Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year. Is a Sophomore at Missouri State University majoring in Health and Life Science. Kim & John McFarland Scholarship
14. Alex Roper – Is a Sophomore at the University of Central Arkansas majoring in Health and Behavioral Science. Reid Bartlett Plunkett and Grant Ellison Plunkett Memorial Scholarship
15. William Stites –Is a Senior at Texas Christian University and majoring in Biology. June & Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
16. Kadin Swaim – Works for the Jeffrey-Glidewell Unit as a Youth Development Professional.Is a Sophomore at the University of Arkansas majoring in Business. Molly and Jack Grober Memorial Scholarship
17. Khamille Warr – Is a Senior at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, majoring in Business Management and Nutrition. Works at the Stephens Unit as a Youth Development Professional. June & Jim Alexander Memorial Scholarship
18. Khassidy Warr –Is a Senior at Oklahoma Wesleyan University majoring in Business. Works at the Stephens Unit as a Youth Development Professional. Janice H. & Robert M. Powell Scholarship
19. Griffin Weindel – Is a Junior at University of Tulsa majoring in Economics. Vic Forsgren Memorial Scholarship
20. Matthew Wewers – Is a Junior at Arkansas Tech University and majors in Agricultural Business. Joel Gist Memorial Scholarship
21. Jaden Williams – Is a Sophomore at John Hopkins University majoring in Neuroscience. Vic Forsgren Memorial Scholarship
22. Matthew Wyatt –Is a Senior at University of Arkansas where he is majoring in Sports Medicine/Pharmacy. Mary and Bill Cooper Scholarship