Bennett

Hudson Downs
721 Sheffield Drive, Bryant, AR 72022 | 501.256.7501 | bhdowns@ualr.edu
May 13, 2015
To the Arkansas Community Foundation:
I am so incredibly honored to receive the Walter Smiley IMPAC scholarship from the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), where I am enjoying my experience as a graduate student in the Learning
Systems Technology program.
I am a non-traditional student in the program. For years I had hoped to be able to go back to school at
some point and earn a Masters degree in Education. I am a Clinical Educator at Arkansas Childrens
Hospital, and I am so proud to be a student at UALR. Because of the generosity of this scholarship, I will
be able to earn my degree in the next year. The costs associated with attending a graduate program are
significant, but your scholarship will provide the means to finish the program faster. I am just so
grateful!
My wife, Sharon, and I both went to college later in life, working full-time jobs along the way. That
experience taught us the value of a great education. We are the proud parents of a 14-year-old young
man who is excelling in both his academic and extracurricular activities, and we are so excited see what
he is accomplishing. I would like to think that seeing me go back to school to earn a Masters degree has
provided a positive influence for him as he continues to grow and mature.
I love to teach. I always have, and I firmly believe that it is a gift given to me by my father, who was a
professor for 41 years. Still today, I will run into his former students who will tell me great stories of my
fathers presence in the classroom. Perhaps most meaningful to me was a conversation with a colleague
of my father, which took place at a reception when my father retired a few years back. He said Let me
tell you what I love about your father. Every year, he looked for a fresh way to teach his courses. He
always worked to find new ways to engage his students. This statement is so important to me, because
in my book it is the quintessential definition of professionalism. I hold on to every word of that
conversation, and I hold them close to my heart. My participation in this graduate program is a pursuit
of professionalism. This journey is providing me with the tool and experience to find new and
innovative ways to engage the therapists whom I teach, and with whom I work on a daily basis.
For myself, and for my family, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kindness and generosity
that is so clearly evident through this scholarship. Thank you for believing in this great program, which
influences me daily. I am so grateful.
With great respect and thanks for you generosity,

Ben Downs
Graduate Student, LSTE Program, University of Arkansas at Little Rock