Thirty-six students from Lincoln, Pike, St. Charles and Warren counties received a total of $18,000 in scholarship awards from the Cuivre River Electric Community Trust Board.
Students receiving scholarships are Victoria Ayers, Craig Bals, Matthew Bencomo, Reece Berry, Michelle Bird, Andrea Bixby, Samantha Bixby, Bradley Boedecker, Michael Boll, Ellyn Bruckerhoff, Brian Dougherty, Marissa Douglas, Kayla Eisenbath, David Fowler, Anna Gladden, Lauren Glore, Weston Gordon, Ashley Hagar-Bray, Rachel Iffrig, Joni Jarvis, Brooke Koehler, Kimberly Liesmann, Kayla Martin, Travis Mertens, Eric Miller, Jacob Miller, Deanna Pieper, Gina Pilla, Nicholas Sachs, Paige Spillman, Leah Stotts, Alexander Toebben, Melissa Turney, Emily White, Laura Williams and Danielle Wu. Student pictures will be featured in the January Current Times.
The scholarship program is funded by Cuivre River Electric Cooperative (CREC) member contributions to Operation Round Up each month.
The CREC Trust Board has awarded more than $720,000 in scholarships to 1,537 students since Operation Round Up started in 1997.
Students are eligible to be considered for a scholarship if they live in the CREC service area and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 while attending undergraduate courses at an accredited university or technical school.
Applicants are asked to provide an official transcript and two letters of recommendation, write a narrative to highlight their academic achievements and state their career goals, and demonstrate a financial need. The scholarship may also be used for adult continuing education courses in their career fields.
The next Cuivre River Operation Round Up scholarship deadline is Tuesday, May 1st. For more information on the scholarship program, eligibility requirements, or to obtain a 2012 Scholarship Application, visit www.cuivre.com or call Lonnie Tucker at 800.392.3709 ext. 230.
Students Express Gratitude
A primary focus of Operation Round Up, Cuivre River Electric’s community outreach program, is to invest in the future of the communities served by the Cooperative. Scholarship recipients expressed appreciation and a strong desire to give back to the communities where they were raised.
"Thank you so much for the honor of being awarded the Cuivre River scholarship. It means a lot to me to be recognized for my credentials and accomplishments, which will give me more confidence in the future with school. I look forward to starting my first semester at school and will use the scholarship to pay for two of my classes. I could not have signed up for these classes without your help and contributions to Operation Round Up."
"Thank you for selecting me as an Operation Round Up scholarship recipient. I'm looking forward to going to college and becoming the first member in my family to receive a college education. This means a lot to me and just as much to my parents! Thank you once again for helping me with my dream of going to college."
"I am writing to thank you for the scholarship. I appreciate the opportunity and responsibility that comes with this award. I plan to pursue a teaching career. I'm currently a junior carrying 18 credit hours, and I plan to graduate next Spring and start teaching at one of our local elementary schools in my hometown. Thanks to Operation Round Up, I am one step closer to my goal. Thank you!"
"The scholarship has truly lightened the financial burden for both my family and me. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community and help students achieve their goals just as you helped me. Thank you Operation Round Up!"
"Thank you once again for the Operation Round Up scholarship award. The Cuivre River scholarships have been a tremendous help during a very difficult time when my family of seven is living on a very fixed income. Thank you for helping me pursue my dream of receiving a college education. This is my last semester, and I look forward to graduation and starting my career in Biochemistry. It means the world to me and my family!"
"I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for selecting me as one of your scholarship recipients. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you have this program in place. These past few years have been a struggle for my family to come up with the means to keep me on my career path of becoming an electrical engineer some day. After I graduate, I plan on making my own contribution to Operation Round Up to help students in their quest of a higher education."
"Thank you for the Operation Round Up scholarship. The six year medical program I am participating in is very challenging, but offers numerous opportunities to learn, see and do so much in the medical field. The education however is extremely expensive and I really appreciate your financial support! Thanks so much for all that you have done for me. It really means a lot to me know how many people have contributed to this scholarship. Thank you to my fellow Cuivre River members!"
"You have no idea how much it means to me to receive this scholarship. You've made it possible for me to pursue my dream of becoming a Physical Therapist, and one day provide therapy to the growing number of disabled people in our communities. Thank you!"
Spring Scholarship
The next Cuivre River Operation Round Up scholarship deadline is Tuesday, May 1st. For more information on the scholarship program, eligibility requirements, or to obtain a 2012 Scholarship Application, visit www.cuivre.com or call Lonnie Tucker at 800.392.3709 ext. 230.