Honors Scholarships

Raymond Pryke Memorial Honors Scholarship
and
Raymond Pryke Honors Achievement Scholarship

 

Scholarship Application (pdf)

 

Raymond Pryke was born in England in 1923. At age 18 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and was sent to Texas for flight training. He was among the forces at D-Day flying over Normandy to protect the invading US forces. After the war, he first studied at the Royal Naval Academy, then finished his degree at Trinity College, University of Toronto. He had developed a love for the United States during his time here for flight training, and so he next settled in the Los Angeles area, developing a very successful real estate business there and in the High Desert. Pryke became a U.S. citizen in 1954, although he retained his British and Canadian citizenship as well. He acquired a newspaper and embarked on a career in journalism. Over time he founded, owned, or acquired ten newspapers.

At the time of his death in February 2015 at age 91, Pryke was the owner and publisher of Valleywide Newspapers, based in the High Desert. Passionate about exposing political corruption and the right to free speech, Pryke was an astute researcher and a consummate storyteller. He also believed in the importance of involvement in one’s community.

The Raymond Pryke Memorial Honors Scholarship and the Raymond Pryke Honors Achievement Scholarship pay tribute to Ray Pryke’s interests and abilities and will be awarded to two students in the College Honors Institute who have demonstrated academic excellence, research skills, and overall involvement in the Crafton Hills College and College Honors Institute communities. The scholarship recipients should be graduating from CHC and transferring to a four-year institution.

1. To be eligible to receive either of these awards, students must be enrolled at Crafton Hills College and actively participating in the Honors Program.
   1. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.5.
   2. The Awards shall go to students who are in the process of transferring to a four-
      year institution.
   3. Preference will be given to students who actively serve their community, have
      participated in Honors activities, and have participated in research conferences.
   4. Preference will be given to students who intend to pursue further education in
      a field that embodies and encourages the principles espoused by Mr. Pryke, such as: freedom of speech; freedom of the press; integrity in government; defense of, advocacy for, and improvement of the quality of life for those who are not adequately able to defend and advocate for themselves; improvement in education; and advancements in science and medicine. Students will be allowed to demonstrate this intent as a specific required response on the scholarship application form.
   5. Financial need is not a consideration.
2. The students receiving these awards shall have the option to use the award in any of the following ways:
   1. Accept the award as a scholarship.
   2. Establish bookstore credit for the purchase of books and supplies as needed.
   3. Use the award to pay for university-sponsored study abroad.
   4. Selection of the students receiving these awards will be made by the Honors Steering
      Committee at Crafton Hills College