The Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Charitable Foundation supports science and performing arts students at UAH through generous scholarships

Gail Hetherington, Elliot Jackson and Emily Gothro

Courtesy Gail Hetherington, Elliot Jackson, Emily Gothro

In August 2021, several students majoring in the sciences or performing arts at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, received generous scholarship support from the Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Charitable Foundation. The Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Scholarships are awarded to juniors or seniors and fulfill the Foundation’s goal to “support the advancement of medical and performing arts students with scholarship opportunities” at universities in the south.

Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans met in Nashville, Tennessee, and married in 1952. They moved to Scottsboro, Alabama in 1957, where Joe practiced medicine for more than 50 years and Mary Ann served as President of the Scottsboro Music Study Club, as well as Director of the Jackson County Historical Association and the Scottsboro-Jackson Heritage Center. Their son, Gray, founded the Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Charitable Foundation to honor his family’s legacy for giving back to the community and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Seven UAH students representing the College of Nursing, the College of Science and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences have been awarded scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year thus far.

Gail Hetherington is a junior working towards a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Theatre and English. She plans to obtain a Master of Fine Arts in playwriting with the hope to be a professional playwright in the future. “I come from a household of three daughters, so attending college is something that is difficult for me to easily achieve. Your gift makes it easier for me, and I could not be more grateful.”

Elliot Jackson is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, and he hopes to start his own theatre company someday. He has been able to work on several UAH productions, including Dido and Aeneas. “The Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Scholarship for the Performing Arts has allowed me to pursue my passions, and I am incredibly grateful.”

Emily Gothro is a junior working towards her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a focus on Ecology and Evolution, and she wants to study entomology after graduation and improve the methods of biological control in vector management as it relates to public health. She cites the connections she’s made at UAH as a means to find research projects and other educational opportunities, including a Cave Bio Lab and volunteer work related to entomology and botany with the Huntsville Botanical Garden. “Thank you so much for your generosity and support for the sciences,” says Gothro. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have been chosen.”

The Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Scholarship provides a lifeline to talented students from all backgrounds and makes it possible for them to earn a college degree. The scholarship allows students to focus on their education and produce outstanding work. While the Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Charitable Foundation seeks to change lives through education, UAH students seek to further that goal by pursuing and fulfilling their professional aspirations in the hope of transforming our community, region and the world for the better.