Oklahoman Offers Scholarship Opportunities to Youth

ARDMORE, Oklahoma -- As an oilman and rancher he's earned his wealth off the land of Oklahoma and now, he's returning some of his good fortune.

A Carter County man is making a difference by offering young people the opportunity of a lifetime.

Jud Little has a love for horses. On his 1,700 acre ranch near Ardmore, he breeds and raises them for competition.

But, Jud also has a love for his home state and its future leaders.

"Oklahoma is the best," Little said. "We're trying to make it better."

Little has started a scholarship program for high school students at Culver Academies, a college-preparatory school in Indiana. Each year, he chooses one student from rural Oklahoma and picks up the entire tab.

"I think Culver was a huge part of who I am today," Little said. "I learned so much there, not just academically, but leadership, a lot about honesty and integrity."

Stephanie Pfeifer is Little's first recipient of his scholarship. The McCloud girl is just a few weeks away from starting her second year at Culver.

"You don't realize how cool of an opportunity and how most people don't get this, they don't get the chance to be in a college atmosphere when they're in high school," Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer is an accomplished equestrian, a skill she's improved on since beginning at Culver. In fact, she was picked to ride in the Inauguration Parade for President Obama.

"I looked over and he was pointing at us and talking to his wife about how our horses' manes were braided and you never thought President Obama was going to be looking at a small town Oklahoma girl," Pfeifer said.

The Pfeifers are grateful for those opportunities, especially since they come from a man who they'd never met but who just wanted to make a difference.

"I think that's the greatest legacy I could ever leave," Little said. "My daddy always said, ‘A great education is something nobody can every steal from you; they can't take that away,' and I think that's the greatest thing to leave."

They're looking for 7th and 8th graders with an interest in horses to apply. The four year scholarship is worth about $200,000.

Learn how to apply here.