(NPRI) — Katarina A. Krouse, a graduate of Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, has been chosen as the first recipient of the Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship, the Nevada Policy Research Institute announced today.
NPRI awarded Katarina the scholarship in recognition of her academic excellence — she was the valedictorian at Faith Lutheran — as well as her volunteer and extra-curricular activities and her strong essay answering the question: “How would incorporating free-market principles into Nevada’s K-12 education system impact student achievement and the quality of education in Nevada?”
“It was a privilege to award this scholarship to Katarina,” said Swadeep Nigam, who has generously donated $25,000 to the scholarship program. “Her track record of excellence and spirited defense of free-market principles in education made her a worthy recipient and set a high standard for next year’s scholarship entrants.”
“Although we received numerous impressive applications, Katarina’s essay set her apart,” said NPRI President Sharon Rossie. “It’s wonderful to see a young person present such an eloquent case for adopting substantial education reforms.”
Professor R.S. Nigam, the scholarship’s namesake, was a director of the Delhi School of Economics at the University of Delhi, a visiting professor at the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a senior fellow at the University of Wisconsin, in addition to academic engagements in Europe, the West Indies and Asia, including North Korea. The scholarship was made possible through a generous donation from Professor Nigam’s son, Swadeep Nigam, who is an active member of NPRI and has resided in Las Vegas for the past 25 years.
“This scholarship and its first recipient are a fitting way to honor Professor R.S. Nigam, a man who is devoted to education and who has taught at UNLV and around the world,” said Rossie. “We are grateful for this opportunity to honor Professor Nigam, and also to help provide Katarina with assistance in continuing her education.”
NPRI will offer another Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship to eligible high school seniors in Clark County in the spring of 2012.
