OWJEF celebrates students, trade scholars and central Arkansas education leaders at gala

Author: Sara Cress

The Oscar Washington Junior Educational Fund celebrated students and educators on Saturday, April 11th during its ninth annual gala. The event honored 17 scholarship recipients this year, including high school and trade scholars, along with several outstanding education leaders from across central Arkansas.

2026 marked a record-breaking year, with the highest number of scholarship applications in the fund’s history. The organization’s efforts go beyond providing scholarships. OWJEF also offers students additional support and resources to help them succeed. OWJEF chairman Mark Leverett says, “Students who are recipients can come back to us. They become family and we treat them as such.”

The organization has financially supported more than 100 students with a total amount of over $200,000 since it began in 2018.