Inaugural Winners of the Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship

On May 8th, Kari Renschler and Henry Reyes were awarded certificates of scholarship and took photographs with the Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship plaque—in which their names are engraved, in the psychology wing of Live Oak Hall.

In addition to their certificates and engravings, on April 23rd, Kari and Henry were each awarded $250 for being the inaugural winners of the Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship.

Tailar Kai Matthews graduated from Northwest Vista College as a psychology major in May of 2018.  She went on to take her bachelor’s degree—while majoring in psychology, from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2020, she then took her master’s degree—while majoring in social work, from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2023. 

“Teaching is a special vocation for a lot of reasons.  The greatest of these reasons is the bonds teaching forms between people.  Bonds found no other place in the World.  Some of these bonds are with people forever remembered.  For me, Tailar is one of these people,” said Dr. Don Lucas, Northwest Vista College Professor and head of the Psychology Department.

Dr. Lucas and Tailar’s mother, Portia Matthews formed the Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship in the Fall of 2023.  Tailar did a lot of things on her academic journey, three of these things were being helpful, being giving, and being voracious—when it came to her reading.  The Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship honors these three things.  

From this year forward, Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarships will be awarded each Spring semester on April 23rd (World Book and Copyright Day).  For application details, contact Dr. Lucas at [email protected].

With their names now engraved on the Tailar Kai Matthews Memorial Scholarship plaque—housed in the psychology department’s display case on the second floor of Live Oak Hall, Kari Renschler and Henry Reyes are forever associated with the words the plaque reads: 

THE GREATEST GIFT YOU’LL LEAVE BEHIND IN THIS WORLD IS YOUR BOOK OF LIFE.  FILL ITS PAGES WITH UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE, ROARING LAUGHTER, INTENTIONAL FRIENDSHIPS, AND A RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES IMAGINABLE.