Melissa Bell Receives P.E.O Program for Continuing Education Grant

The Graduate College is pleased to announce that Melissa Bell, a student in the public administration master’s program, has been selected by Chapter JI Texas (Austin) of the P.E.O. Sisterhood to receive a $1,000 grant through its Program for Continuing Education. P.E.O. stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization, and its mission is to support educational opportunities for women. The Program for Continuing Education provides need-based grants to women whose education has been interrupted and who return to school to complete a degree that improves their marketable skills for employment.

Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 1998 followed by an associate’s degree in the Interpreter Training Program at Collin County Community College. She currently works for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services as a program specialist. Before her current position, Melissa worked ten years for a non-profit organization as an advocate for equal access and equal opportunity for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is now pursuing an advanced degree to be able to maximize her contribution to the people her agency serves.

Melissa appreciates the support of her family and also Dr. Andrea Hilkovitz, who connected her with a P.E.O. chapter. To future P.E.O. applicants, she recommends taking time to follow through with all the steps involved in the grant process from beginning to end.