Weatherford, OK – Mariah Yell of Union City, Oklahoma, has been named the Rebecca Reddin Jones Scholarship at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Yell is a sophomore at SWOSU, majoring in Early Childhood Education.

The late Irene Rebecca Reddin Jones was born on June 19, 1924, in Doniphan, Missouri. She graduated from Oakwood High School in May 1943. In the Fall of 1943, Rebecca enrolled at SWOSU. She attended college for two semesters and qualified for an emergency teaching certificate. She continued her studies during the summer months and graduated from SWOSU in 1950 with a major in business and elementary education, plus a minor in dramatics. In 1986, Rebecca retired after teaching school for 43 years. Over the course of her career, Rebecca taught in one-room schoolhouses, single-school districts, and multi-school districts.

The Rebecca Reddin Jones Scholarship is stewarded by the SWOSU Foundation, Inc., which was established in 1977 to promote philanthropy and distribute funds to support the activities and programs of SWOSU. For more information, please contact the SWOSU Foundation at 580-774-3267 or visit www.SWOSUFoundation.com.

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