2010 Scholarship Recipients

High School recipients
• Albrook High School:   
• Babbitt-Embarrass High School:
• Barnum High School: Dawn Collander
• Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School: 
• Carlton High School:
• Cass Lake-Bena Secondary:  
• Cherry High School: Nicole Koski
• Chisholm High School: Emmalee Toldo 
• Cloquet High School: Amelia Udenberg 
• Cook High School: Holly Rinne
• Cotton High School:
• Cromwell-Wright High School: Nolan Wester
• Deer River High School: Ty Vickerman 
• Ely High School: Addie Larson
• Eveleth-Gilbert High School:
• Esko High School:  
• Floodwood High School: Neil Vance
• Grand Rapids High School: Annika VandenEinde 
• Greenway-Coleraine High School: Tyler Stanley
• Hermantown High School: Claire Gibbons 
• Hibbing High School:
• Hill City High School:
• McGregor Secondary School:
• Mesabi East Secondary School:
• Moose Lake High School: Kathleen Youngberg 
• Mountain Iron-Buhl School: Raymond Heltunen
• Nashwauk-Keewatin School:
• Northern Lights Charter School:
• Orr High School: Perry Drift
• Proctor High School:
• Remer High School: Haley White
• Tower-Soudan High School: 
• Virginia High School: Hannah Lenich
• Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School:
• Wrenshall School: 

Community College recipients 
• Itasca Community College: Maija Drevlow
• Vermillion Community College: Sarah Eisenhuth 
• Mesabi Range College: Michael Ziolette
• Hibbing Community College: Shawn Olson, Lizbeth Thom and Joshua Vaneps
• Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College:

Technical College recipients 
• Dakota Technical College:
• Minnesota West Jackson Campus:
• Wadena Technical College: 

Note: Not all schools provided information to Lake Country Power at the time of this posting.  

Les Beach Scholarship recipient 
John Dahmen of Aurora, Minnesota (Mesabi East High School)  

Scholarships for college education

Lake Country Power offers several scholarship opportunities to qualified students pursuing higher education upon high school graduation. The co-op's scholarship program includes the following scholarships for students whose parents or guardians are Lake Country Power members:

• Les Beach Memorial Scholarship: $1,500 
• Community and Technical College Scholarships: $1,000 
• High School Scholarships: $500 
• Summer Work Scholarship: hourly wage  

Please also take notice of another educational opportunity for high school juniors and seniors known as the Rural Electric Youth Tour. (see end of this section)

Les Beach Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to one high school senior pursuing a college education beginning in the fall and is valued at $1,500. A Les Beach Memorial scholarship application can be obtained online and should be completed in full and returned to Lake Country Power by April 1.

An independent scholarship committee reviews the applications and determines the winner. Application materials should be mailed to: Human Resources Specialist, Lake Country Power, 2810 Elida Drive, Grand Rapids, MN 55744.

Following are the scholarship requirements: 

• Son or daughter of a Lake Country Power member or employee and be a high-school senior
• Top 50 percent of student body according to class rank
• Must be a full-time student pursuing a degree at an accredited university or vocational/community school
• Must present typed summary (in narrative fashion) that includes achievements/participation in academic, community, civic or athletic endeavors, no later than April 1. Please also indicate reason for and length of time spent volunteering. 
• Must submit an application available from Lake Country Power no later than April 1
• Must submit one letter of recommendation (outside the school system), no later than April 1

Community and Technical College Scholarships

Scholarship applications for this particular $1,000 scholarship are available from the college counselor or community college foundation personnel. Deadlines vary per school. Students should talk directly with the school or counselor to receive an application. Completed applications should be returned to the school for review and consideration. Please do not mail applications to Lake Country Power or you may not meet the school’s deadline.

The scholarship is awarded to one student at the following community colleges: Itasca Community College, Grand Rapids, Minn.; Mesabi Range Community and Technical College; Virginia; Hibbing Community College, Hibbing; Fond Du Lac Tribal and Community College; Cloquet; and Vermilion Community College; Ely.

The Minnesota Technical Colleges (offering specialized Electrical Lineworker A.A.S. degrees) include: Dakota County Area Technical Institute, Rosemount; Minnesota West Community & Technical College, Jackson; and Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Wadena.

Following are the scholarship requirements:

1. Applicant must be a qualified student enrolled in a local community college within the cooperative’s service area or a designated technical school that offers a specialized Electrical Lineworker A.A.S. degree. 

2. Applicant must have a Grade Point Average of 2.75 or higher.

3. Applicant must write a 250-word essay demonstrating a commitment to community through active involvement in civic affairs or volunteerism in community organizations, charitable causes or educational programs and events that support special community needs and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of our region.

4. Applicant must submit application, written essay, and one letter of recommendation from a counselor, teacher, coach, mentor or community leader to selection committee.

5. Application form must be completed in full, including any required attachments, and submitted to the school’s scholarship selection committee on or before the group’s posted deadline for applications.

6. A copy of the applicant’s high school and college transcript must be provided.

7. It is preferred, but not essential, that the student or his/her parent or guardian be an active member of Lake Country Power (they receive electricity from the cooperative).*

8. If the ultimate recipient decides to forego continuing their college education, the scholarship must be returned to the school’s scholarship committee for redistribution as outlined by the criteria above.

High School Scholarships

This scholarship is valued at $500 and will be awarded to one senior per community. Students should submit their application to the high school counselor or members of the education foundation by the school's application deadline. Deadlines vary. Students should talk directly with the school or counselor to receive an application.

The school will review the applications and select the recipient based on the qualifications set by Lake Country Power as bulleted below. Please do not mail applications to Lake Country Power or you may not meet the school’s deadline.  

The schools include: Barnum High School, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, Carlton, Cass Lake-Bena Secondary, Chisholm, Cloquet, Cromwell-Wright, Deer River, Ely-Memorial Secondary, Eveleth-Gilbert, Esko, Floodwood, Grand Rapids, Greenway-Coleraine, Hermantown, Hibbing, Hill City, McGregor, Mesabi East, Moose Lake, Mountain Iron-Buhl, Nashwauk-Keewatin, Northern Lights Charter School, Northland-Remer, Proctor, St. Louis County Schools (Albrook, Babbitt-Embarrass, Cherry, Cook, Cotton, Orr, Tower-Soudan), Virginia, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley and Wrenshall.

Following are the scholarship requirements:

1. Applicant must be a high school senior scheduled to graduate in the spring of the current school year.

2. Applicant must have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher.

3. Applicant must write a 250-word essay demonstrating a commitment to community through active involvement in civic affairs or volunteerism in community organizations, charitable causes or educational programs and events that support special community needs and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of our region.

4. Applicant must submit application, written essay, and two letters of recommendation from a counselor, teacher, coach, mentor or community leader to selection committee.

5. Application form must be completed in full, including any required attachments, and submitted to the school’s scholarship selection committee on or before the group’s posted deadline for applications.

6. A copy of the applicant’s high school transcript, including senior year’s first semester, if available, must be provided.

7. Student, parent or guardian must be an active member of Lake Country Power (they receive electricity from the cooperative).*

8. If the ultimate recipient decides to forego post-secondary education, the scholarship must be returned to the school’s scholarship committee for redistribution as outlined by the criteria above.
 

Summer Work Scholarship

Students can earn a few thousand dollars with this scholarship opportunity. Three students are selected to work at Lake Country Power's service centers (one student per service center).

This is a great opportunity for students to earn valuable work experience, while gaining first-hand knowledge of the cooperative working environment. It's also a great way for students to use summer work scholarship money toward their higher education pursuits in the fall. The program is renewable on an annual basis for up to four years provided students continue to pursue post-secondary education.

Please watch the cooperative’s newsletter, Newsline, for openings at its service centers or contact us at 800-421-9959.

Application materials should be mailed to: Human Resources Specialist, Lake Country Power, 2810 Elida Drive, Grand Rapids, MN 55744. Application deadlines are typically in March.

Following are the scholarship requirements:

• Be a graduating high-school senior whose parents or guardians are Lake Country Power members
• Registered to pursue higher education this fall
• 3.0 grade point average or higher
• Submit an application, which is available from Lake Country Power
• Submit a written essay, 150-words or less, about why he or she wants to work at Lake Country Power
• Submit one letter of recommendation, i.e., high school teacher
• Must have a valid Minnesota driver's license. 

Rural Electric Youth Tour - Washington, D.C.
The Rural Electric Youth Tour is a group of nearly 1,500 high school students who visit Washington, D.C., every June, year after year from all over America. Lake Country Power believes education is important and values educating our youth about electric cooperatives and American history. As a result, Lake Country Power sponsors one high school junior or senior to attend this six-day trip to our nation’s Capitol. 

Students on the tour learn about electric cooperatives, American history and U.S. government. They attend educational seminars and visit with their representatives in the House and the Senate. They see historical sights in and around Washington—the U.S. Capitol, the monuments, the Smithsonian, Arlington Cemetery, Mt. Vernon and countless other places—and they learn about the cooperative business model.

The Rural Electric Youth Tour started in 1957 and has been going strong ever since.
 
The application process is easy! Interested high school juniors and seniors (whose parents/guardians are Lake Country Power members) need only to complete an application for the Rural Electric Youth Tour, include a photograph and one letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, or youth organization leader.

The application deadline for the 2010 tour is March 1. The tour is scheduled for June 12 - 17, 2010. Students applying for this year's trip should currently be in their junior or senior year of high school.

Although the Youth Tour isn’t a college scholarship, it’s still a co-op sponsored educational event valued at $1,400. For additional information about the Youth Tour, visit www.youthtour.org or www.mrea.org.