Scholarship Recipients

2009 Scholarship Recipients

Morgan County REA is pleased to announce six local high school students have been selected for scholarships from Morgan County Rural Electric Association.

The cooperative awards the college scholarships to graduating seniors whose parents are members of Morgan County REA.

The scholarships include a Basin Electric scholarship, two Tri-State Generation and Transmission scholarships and three Morgan County REA scholarships.

The recipients of these scholarships were selected by a panel comprised of MCREA directors, employees and educators.

The criteria for selection is based on a number of factors, including academics, ACT scores, school and community participation, work experiences, a student statement and a letter of recommendation.

	Isaac Brost	$1,500 MCREA Scholarship - Isaac Brost, Brush High School Isaac has maintained a 4.0 grade point average in his tenure at Brush High School. He has been involved in several school activities, including the local and Colorado state science fair, the school band and jazz band. Isaac is a three-year letterman for the Beetdigger football team and is also a published writer for ESPN RISE magazine. Isaac says that he plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines in the fall and pursue a degree in electrical engineering. His long-term goal is to work in the electric industry. When not working on his family’s ranch, Isaac enjoys playing bass guitar for his church’s worship team and in a local rock band. His parents are Keith and Collette Brost from Brush.
	Cameron Brandenburg	$1,000 MCREA Scholarship – Cameron Brandenburg, Brush High School Cameron has also maintained a 4.0 GPA while attending Brush High School. In addition to being a four-year member of the National Honor Society, Cameron has been active in several school bands, choir, forensics and drama. He is a four-year participant in the Knowledge Bowl, serving as captain of the varsity team his senior year. He has also performed volunteer work for the Special Olympics, participated in several church activities and was a Morgan County election judge his senior year. Cameron says that he’s still deciding between Fort Hays State University and Colorado Christian University for college, but he plans to study music at either. His parents are Dennis and Jan Brandenburg from Snyder.
	Kaitlin Vangraefschepe	$1,000 MCREA Scholarship – Kaitlin Vangraefschepe, Fort Morgan High School Kaitlin carries a cumulative 3.83 grade point average at Fort Morgan High School and has been in the top 10 percent of her class all four of her high school years. She’s been active with several extracurricular activities, including National Honor Society, DECA and student council, currently serving as student council co-president. Kaitlin lettered in volleyball her sophomore through senior years and also participated in basketball her freshman year. Her community work includes volunteering as a volleyball referee and distributing care packages at Hillcrest Apartments. Kaitlin plans to study early childhood education at Colorado State University in the fall. Her parents are Wayne and Teresa Vangraefschepe from Fort Morgan.
	Haleigh Silz	$1,000 Basin Electric Scholarship – Haleigh Silz, Fort Morgan High School A 3.8 GPA student at FMHS, Haleigh has completed 10 honors courses as well as two advanced placement courses. She has been active in drama and currently serves as secretary of the drama club. In addition to drama, she has been section leader of the concert band, marching band, jazz band and symphonic band, and she earned first chair honors at all-state band this year. Haleigh has also participated in International Club, Spirit Club, Science Club, Close Up for Washington and the Knowledge Bowl. When not performing with the Platte Valley Community Band or volunteering for the UNICEF drive during Halloween, she works at Sherman’s after-school day care. Haleigh plans to attend Colorado State University in the fall and study biomedicine and music. Her parents are Nicholas and Susan Silz from Fort Morgan.
	Raymond Laws	$500 Tri-State Generation Scholarship – Raymond Laws, Fort Morgan High School Raymond, son of Matt and Robin Laws of Fort Morgan, is an honor roll student at Fort Morgan High School with a 3.94 grade point average. An avid runner, Raymond is a three-time letterman for the FMHS cross-country and track teams, achieving academic all-state honors for cross country in 2007 and 2008, and academic all-state for track in 2008. In addition to athletics, Raymond has been active in other school activities, such as National Honor Society, jazz band, International Club and Morgan High Singers. Raymond also worked at an orphanage in Guatemala last spring with a church group, helping to repair a church and setting up a youth camp. He plans to attend either Colorado College in Colorado Springs or the University of Chicago in Hyde Park.
	Brianna Vondy	$500 Tri-State Generation Scholarship – Brianna Vondy, Prairie High School Brianna is a 3.95 GPA student and co-valedictorian of her class. She has been active in FFA, serving as New Raymer chapter secretary and Cache La Poudre district treasurer. Brianna was a member of the Colorado state FFA-winning farm business management team and competed at the national level in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has also been active in FBLA, this year serving as chapter president. Brianna has been on the gold honor roll list her entire high school career, is a member of National Honor Society and holds varsity letters in cross-country, track and basketball. She plans to pursue a nursing degree at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Her parents are Bryan Funk and Dawn Hume of Atwood.

		MCREA Line Worker Scholarship Winners
	Josh Bristol	$7,500 MCREA Line Worker Scholarship - Josh Bristol, Fort Morgan Joshua Bristol, a 2006 graduate of Fort Morgan High School and a recent graduate of Aims Community College in Greeley, plans to attend lineworker school at Western Nebraska Community College in Alliance, Nebraska in May, starting his course work early so that he can complete the associate degree program swiftly. He says that he knows the hard work and dedication it takes to be a lineman, since his father is a lineman for the City of Fort Morgan.
	Ryan Hays	$7,500 MCREA Line Worker Scholarship - Ryan Hays, Fort Morgan Ryan Hays is a 2007 graduate of Fort Morgan High School, and studied business management at Pueblo Community College in Durango and Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma. He says that he plans to continuously further his education in the electric energy industry so he can grow more efficient and learn as many job skills as possible. Hays will attend lineworker school at Trinidad State Junior College.
	Brandon Wiederspan	$7,500 MCREA Line Worker Scholarship - Brandon Wiederspan, Fort Morgan Brandon Wiederspan graduated from Fort Morgan High School in 2008, and most recently worked for Dorn’s Ready Mix in Fort Morgan. He is slated to begin lineworker school at Western Nebraska Community College in August. He says that his family has a history of being in the electric energy industry, and looks forward to following in their footsteps. Wiederspan said that he intends to work hard as a lineman, and hopefully learn other aspects of the electric energy industry.