The Ford Dealers of Western New York have awarded Kristen Hamner, a Buffalo State College honor students from Niagara Falls, N.Y., the second Western New York Ford Dealer Scholarship.

Kristen, an elementary education student, was chosen from applicants from the All College Honors Program for academically gifted students that requires them to earn honors credits from disciplines in the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics and science and applied science and technology. Students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average to remain in the program.

The Buffalo ADI Ford Dealers Cooperative Scholarship is the first of its kind ? providing full tuition and fees to the recipient ? made possible through the generous donation of two vehicles from the 31 member Ford dealers in Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Wyoming, Alleghany and Genesee counties in New York, and McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania that comprise the cooperative. The scholarship endowment provides funds in perpetuity for one incoming freshman honor student every four years. Stephanie A. Zajgert from Stafford, N.Y., was the first Buffalo ADI Ford Dealers Cooperative scholar.

Kristen graduated with honors from Niagara Falls High School where she excelled in music, volleyball and softball. The daughter of Janis and David Hamner of Niagara Falls, she received the Thomas Hewitt Scholar Athlete Award in high school. She plans to become an elementary or mathematics teacher.