SALEM, Ore. – Brooklyn Baker is the first recipient of the Lynwood W. Swanson Athletic Scholarship, which was established by the Murdock Charitable Trust when they selected Corban University as the recipient of a $150,000 grant. In honor of Lynwood W. Swanson, who is retiring from Murdock's Board of Trustees, the funds were designated for student athletes, and will be distributed among five athletes over the next five years.

Click the 'Play Button' on the photo above to watch the video of Brooklyn receiving the award.

The scholarships will all be awarded to students in their junior and senior years, and are intended to assist outstanding athletes finish their degrees. Brooklyn, the scholarship's first recipient, competes for Corban in cross country as well as track & field, and is majoring in education.

"It was very special to present this $30,000 two-year scholarship to Brooklyn, due to the extraordinary challenges she faced coming to Corban as a 16-year-old, on her own financially," said Corban Director of Athletics Greg Eide. "She has maintained a 3.86 GPA while running cross country and track, while also juggling two to three jobs. This generous scholarship, made possible by Lynwood Swanson and the Murdock Charitable Trust, is truly a life changer for Brooklyn, as it will allow her to focus more time on academics and completing her dream to become a teacher and impact children's lives."

 Brooklyn has served as one of the key distance runners on the Corban women's cross country and track & field teams. After competing at the Conference Championships and registering career-best times in cross country during the fall, Baker then clocked a three-minute PR in the 10k on the track in the spring, qualifying for the Conference Championships in track & field for the first time in her collegiate career.