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The Barbara D. Weaver Family Scholarship was recently endowed in the UAM Foundation Fund to support students at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

The scholarship will benefit full-time or part-time students pursuing any degree within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at UAM, with preference given to students majoring in social work. Additional consideration may be given to non-traditional students, reflecting Barbara’s own journey at UAM, and financial need will also be taken into account.

Lauren Weaver, Barbara’s granddaughter, established the Barbara D. Weaver Family Scholarship with a $15,000 gift to the UAM Foundation Fund in honor of her grandmother’s life, deep commitment to serving others and love for UAM.

Barbara’s story is one of compassion, dedication and purpose. At 47 years old, she began an extraordinary new chapter when, with encouragement from her eldest son, Jeff, she took a leap of faith and enrolled at UAM as a non-traditional student alongside her youngest son, Nicholas. She earned her Bachelor of Science in social work degree in 2004, graduating summa cum laude and as a member of the Alpha Chi College Honor Society. She immediately continued her education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she earned a Master of Social Work degree.

Barbara went on to serve people across southeast and central Arkansas as a social worker with Delta Counseling Associates, Mainline Health Systems, Inc. and CHI St. Vincent North. Among her many professional accomplishments, her family is proud to highlight that she secured a $2 million grant for the City of Dumas to build the Family Investment Center for underprivileged children.

Through the new scholarship, the Weaver family seeks to honor her dedication to helping others by supporting UAM students, especially those pursuing degrees in social work.

“Years ago, I came across a quote that said a person dies twice: once when they leave this earth and again the last time someone says their name. I have carried those words with me ever since, but they have echoed a little louder since August 20, 2023, the day my Nanny, Barbara, passed,” Lauren Weaver said. “Before she was a social worker, she was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend who loved people deeply. Social work simply gave a name to something that was already woven into who she was: a person with a heart for people. I look forward to learning the stories of the scholarship's future recipients and knowing that, through the lives they touch and the good they do, a small piece of Nanny’s love for people will continue to ripple through this world. This endowment is my way of ensuring her name will still be spoken, her story will still be told and her life will continue to make a difference.”

Previously, the family funded the Barbara D. Weaver Memorial Scholarship at UAM, which provides two $500 scholarships per year for three years from 2025 through 2027. The memorial scholarship recipients are social work majors selected for their resilience, dedication to serving others, academic promise and deep commitment to the core values of social work.

Dr. Peggy Doss, chancellor of UAM, expressed her gratitude, stating, “The Weaver family has studied, worked and supported UAM for decades and will always be part of the university community. We are deeply grateful for Ms. Lauren Weaver’s generosity in establishing this scholarship in honor of her grandmother. Mrs. Barbara Weaver’s remarkable career in social work exemplifies the very best of our university’s values: dedication, compassion and an unwavering commitment to service. We are honored that she chose UAM as the institution where she took a bold step, midlife, to pursue her goals and make a lasting difference in her community. Her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift generations of UAM students.”

Scholarships at the university achieve endowed status when their balance reaches $15,000. Once endowed, only the annual earnings are used for awards, ensuring the principal remains permanently in the UAM Foundation Fund to support student scholarships.

To learn more about establishing a scholarship at UAM, contact the UAM Office of University Advancement and Alumni Engagement at 870-460-1227.

 

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