​Barger Scholarship

The children of Phil and Diane Barger started this scholarship fund as a lasting memorial to their parent’s commitment to education. Philip Jennings Barger was born in 1935, in Upper Glade, WV. He graduated from Cowen High School. He continued his education at the Merchant Marine Academy and through the Air Force was able to receive a B.S. from the University of Omaha and a M.S. from Texas A & M. An early computer scientist, he programmed navigation systems for the SR-71 Blackbird. He met and married Californian Diane Soderstrom in 1961. She had received her B.A. in romantic languages from Stanford. A great lover of the arts and an accomplished artist, she also mastered 7 languages. Regardless of where they lived across the nation, they always made it back to Webster County, WV, for high school and family reunions. The recipient of this scholarship award must graduate from a high school in Webster County, WV, and then pursue a major in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) discipline; furthermore, applicants must fulfill a STEAM requirement (submit evidence of a project they completed that incorporated art in STEM subject matter).

• Merit based award for a matriculating senior at Webster Counting High School, Webster County, WV enrolling at a technical, community or baccalaureate institutions;
• Must show intent to major in a STEM discipline (science, technology, engineering, math);
• Must demonstrate fulfillment in a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts or math). This is to be accomplished through the submission of a visual or performing art project in a format of their choice (such as\s, video, portfolio, poem, music cd, ect.), that either utilizes STEM concepts or incorporates STEM principles as its subject matter. A statement explaining the connection between STEM and Arts in the demonstration submitted must be included. Involvement in arts component may be acquired through school or extracurricular participation.
• Documentation regarding enrollment in at least 1 advanced placement STEM course; should none be available, statement from counselor/administrator must be submitted.