ATHENS, Ohio -- This fall, Lauren Claus of Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Ohio, is among 10 new Templeton Scholars at Ohio University.

Recipients of the Templeton scholarship must have been ranked in the top 20 percent of their high school graduation class and scored a minimum of 28 on the ACT or 1,240 on the SAT. Other requirements included a written essay, interviews with Ohio University faculty and staff members and current Templeton Scholars and endorsements from their high school teachers and administrators. The scholarships are renewable provided the students complete 16 credit hours and maintain a 3.3 GPA.

Claus will major in art education at Ohio University. In high school, she was class valedictorian, a four-year Honor Roll member, Geography Student of the Year, captain of the Quiz Bowl Team and class representative for the Art Club. She is the daughter of Larry and Mary Claus.

The scholarship is named after John Newton Templeton, who was born a slave in South Carolina around 1805. He was emancipated in 1813 and went on to educate other African-Americans while serving as a principal and teacher at the African School in Pittsburgh, the city's first school for African-Americans. He died in 1851.

"We are well pleased with these exceptional students and their choice to attend Ohio University," said Assistant to the President Erek Perry, who directs the scholarship program. "These Templeton Scholars have many outstanding qualities, possess a deep commitment to excellence and will continue to honor the legacy of John Newton Templeton."