San Patricio Electric Cooperative awarded 10 scholarships, worth $2,000 each, to local graduating seniors who will pursue a higher education in the fall.
The recipients for SPEC’s 2019 scholarship program are as follows:
- Jennifer Calderone, Pettus High School
- Jessica Horalek, Skidmore-Tynan High School
- Kayla Rutkowski, Skidmore-Tynan High School
- Kolton Witherspoon, Odem-Edroy High School
- Laura Kieschnick, Sinton High School
- Leah Malone, A.C. Jones High School
- Madison Arthur, A.C. Jones High School
- Madeline Dougherty, Skidmore-Tynan High School
- Mandy Long, Orange Grove High School
- Reagan Kopplin, Three Rivers High School
These recipients were selected by an independent scholarship selection committee, who evaluated applications based on leadership abilities, community involvement, academic achievement and financial need.
“SPEC has a long-standing tradition of supporting the communities we serve. That’s particularly true for our local youth,” said Ron Hughes, general manager at SPEC. “We’re proud to continue investing in the future of our communities through our scholarship program and we wish these students well as they continue their education.”
The San Patricio Electric Education Trust was established by SPEC in 1999 to provide area students with the funds necessary to continue their education goals. Since it was founded, the fund has awarded more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to area students.
The cooperative’s 2019 scholarship program was open to high school seniors in SPEC’s nine-county service area. Eligible students were enrolled at an area high school or non-traditional education setting, such as homeschooling. In addition, the student’s parent or legal guardian had to be a member of the cooperative and receive SPEC service at the student’s primary address.
SPEC’s scholarship award is paid over four semesters, provided the student meets the standards established for the scholarship program. Each semester, the student must show that they have successfully completed a full-time course load (12 hours or more), are enrolled as a full-time student for the upcoming semester and have maintained a GPA of 2.5 or greater.