SHSU Alumni Association Holds First Tuition Drawing

Afton Westerburg (center) holds a replica of the check she won in the Alumni Association's first tuition drawing. She was congratulated by Alumni Association board of director member Trish Pollard (right) and Sammy Bearkat.

Afton Leigh Westerburg, a sophomore health major from Austin, doesn't have to worry about paying tuition next year, thanks to the generosity of the SHSU Alumni Association and her mom's decision to buy a ticket.

Westerburg's name was pulled in the Alumni Association's first Tuition-For-A-Year drawing, which took place on Nov. 30.   The prize is $2,880, based on the value of 24 in-state, undergraduate hours of tuition at SHSU.

Trisha Pollard of Bellaire, a member of the Alumni Association's board of directors, came up with the idea.

"I knew that other universities were doing this, and I thought 'Why can't we do that at Sam Houston?'" she said.

Approximately 16,000 letters were mailed to parents with information about the drawing.   Tickets were $5 each or 6 for $25.   Over 6,000 tickets were sold, and the Alumni Association netted close to $17,000, which will benefit SHSU Alumni Association-sponsored scholarships.

Westerburg found out about her name being drawn in a Publisher's Clearing House-type surprise presentation during her English class on Dec. 1.

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SHSU Media Contact: Julia May
December 11, 2006
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