LPEA has awarded $80,000 in scholarships to seven local high-school seniors to support their continued education. The cooperative received a total of 81 applications for this year’s scholarship programs. Recipients were selected based on merit by a local committee comprised of nine individuals from across LPEA’s four districts.
“We are always impressed by the quality of applications we receive from young, promising, local students with big goals and dreams,” said LPEA CEO Jessica Matlock. “We are honored to support them in achieving these dreams, while also supporting industries that will depend on a skilled and educated future workforce.”
The 2021 scholarship recipients are as follows:
LPEA Scholarship (Up to $28,000 for any school) awarded to:
Trevor Harms from Animas High School to study Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. “There is still a lot of discovery that needs to occur before we can have a completely renewable power grid. I hope my studies in physics and electrical engineering will contribute to this future of reliable, renewable energy.”
Caitlyn Chapman from Ignacio High School to study Engineering at Colorado School of Mines. “LPEA has been proactive and done much for our community in finding feasible solutions to meet the members’ electrical needs. I would be honored to one day take part in continuing to advance this goal.”
John Voelker Memorial Scholarship ($10,000 for a vocational or tech school) awarded to:
Guy Wright from Bayfield High School to pursue a degree in Agricultural Business at Hutchinson Community College. “I have prepared academically, personally, and vocationally for college and my future. Receipt of this scholarship will take so much off the financial burden that college will bring.”
LPEA Lineman Scholarship ($12,000 for tuition, books, fees, and tools for line school):
Zack McSweeney from Bayfield High School to study at Northwest Lineman College. “Trade school is a great option to further my education. A power lineman is a great opportunity and a significant next step in my life that I am very passionate about and ready to commit.”
Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship ($1,000 for any school) awarded to:
Kylie Keuning from Pagosa Springs High School to study Speech Pathology and Audiology at Calvin University. “Becoming a Speech Pathologist is a dream come true for me as it is the perfect combination of the fields I am passionate about.”
Tri-State G&T Scholarship ($500 for any school) awarded to:
Sonie (Taylor) Schermer from Animas High School to study Engineering at the University of Colorado -Boulder. “As I look into my future college education goals, I see myself pursuing STEM to make a difference in the way humanity impacts the environment.”
Jacob Genualdi from Durango High School to study Economics at Harvard University. “I could contribute to the area’s rural power cooperative field through an understanding of the economics behind the transition to green energy.”
The LPEA Scholarship, John Voelker Memorial Scholarship, and LPEA Lineman Scholarship are funded by LPEA’s unclaimed Capital Credit funds. As LPEA is a not-for-profit utility delivering service to its members at cost, any payments made by members in excess of the cost required to provide their electric service are placed into a patronage capital account in each member’s name, referred to as capital credits. When the cooperative is able, Capital Credits are retired and returned to members as bill credits or by check. If these checks are not cashed after three years, they are considered unclaimed – and put back into the community in the form of grants and scholarships.
The Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship and Tri-State G&T Scholarship are funded separately by those organizations.