Lina Burklin Announced as Recipient of $2,000 Wong Scholarship from Texas Library and Archives Foundation

Austin, TX - The Texas Library and Archives Foundation (TxLAF) has announced that it has awarded the 2025 Martha Wong Scholarship to Lina Burklin. This new scholarship opportunity supports students enrolled in a Texas library/information science or school library certification program with a reimbursable grant of $2,000 for tuition and/or textbooks for the semester starting in January.

Burklin, of Nacogdoches, is a graduate student in the Texas Woman's University School of Library & Information Studies Master of Library Science program, public librarianship track. She currently works as a cataloguer at the Judy B. McDonald Public Library in Nacogdoches. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Music with a minor in British Studies from East Texas Baptist University and earning her Texas Educator Certification through LeTourneau University's PACT program, she spent 14 years teaching middle school core subjects, nine of them overseas and four in a classical Christian school. Burkin appreciates the variety of opportunities to serve her community and develop a variety of skills at her current library, and she plans to continue working at public libraries in technical services and reference. In her free time, she is an avid reader, knitter and maker, sings in the Stone Fort Chorale and enjoys learning new things.
"We are thrilled to be able to offer Ms. Burklin the inaugural Martha Wong Scholarship award," said TxLAF President Andrea Lapsley. "Supporting the development of professional librarians throughout the state is a key priority for the Foundation, and we are so looking forward to seeing Lina's career unfold."

This scholarship has been generously funded by Dr. Martha Wong, Chair of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Wong, of Houston, has served on the Commission since 2015 and was appointed chair by Gov. Greg Abbott in January 2020. A longtime educational leader in Texas and the greater Houston area, she is a former educator and administrator. Wong, a community volunteer, former state representative and Houston city council member, is a member of the Houston Association of Retired Teachers and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She has previously served as a board member for the Neuhaus Education Center and University of Houston Alumni Organization. Inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 1994, she has also been recognized as a Distinguished University of Houston Alumni by the UH Alumni Association and the College of Education. Wong graduated with a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her master's and doctorate degree in educational administration from the University of Houston.

For more information about the work of the Texas Library and Archives Foundation, and to get involved, visit their website at www.txlaf.org.

###

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.