U of A alumni Sherman Black and Lynnette Reeder Black have announced this year's recipient of the Black and Reeder Scholarship, which is awarded to a Greenwood High School student seeking a degree in engineering or business at the U of A.

Drew Holland will graduate from Greenwood High School on May 16 and will study biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering.

Holland said his decision to pursue biomedical engineering was inspired by doctors and nurses he encountered during his treatment for leukemia diagnosed when he was just 2 years old.

"The kindness those healthcare providers showed me helped shape what I want to do with my life," he said. "Biomedical engineering will give me the opportunity to explore the healthcare field and discover how I can best serve patients in my community."

As a student at Greenwood High School, Holland focused on AP classes like biology and microbiology, and he also studied advanced mathematics such as calculus. He served as president of the school's Beta Club and participated in Spanish Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society and band. Holland plays saxophone and piano at his church.

The Blacks created the scholarship to give back to the community and honor their parents, Galen and Wilma Black and Van and Carolyn Reeder, longtime residents of Greenwood. Recipients' $4,000 annual awards are renewable if they meet scholarship requirements.

Black and Reeder Scholarship recipient Trey Smith will graduate from the U of A on May 10 with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering.

Black and Reeder Scholarship recipients whose awards will continue next fall are Gavin Holland, a senior in electrical engineering, and Maggie Leonard, a junior in business.