The Mitchell Scholars program is much more than just the scholarship rewards, Director of the TCU Energy Institute Ken Morgan said.

The prestige of the George Mitchell Scholar award and the vast opportunities to meet future employers in the energy industry was what made winning the award so valuable, Morgan said.

Christal Strong, an award recipient, has earned two George J. Mitchell scholarships in the past two years.

She said it was hard not to see the benefits of creating contacts with many influential players in the energy industry.

According to the Campaign for TCU website, the program was created by Hart Energy Publishing and the TCU Energy Institute as a tribute to George Mitchell, “the father of the Barnett Shale.” This is the fourth year for the program.

Morgan said that last year, 10 students were selected for the program. In addition to receiving the award, recipients had the opportunity to meet and to take a photo with former president George W. Bush.

Morgan selected the finalists for the award and used criteria such as academic merit and financial need to choose them. But, he said the deciding factor was an essay the students wrote that explained how they planned to explore future careers in the energy field.

This year’s application process would be between now and spring break, and the program would announce recipients in April, he said.

Condoleezza Rice would be the special guest at the award ceremony, Morgan said.
To be eligible for the program, students must have a minor in energy, he said.