WHS graduates earn scholarships from several organizations

• Soroptimists International of Whitefish has awarded college scholarships to the following graduating Whitefish High School graduating seniors Mia Van Vlack and Grace Benkelman in recognition of outstanding achievements.

• Flathead Electric Cooperative has awarded scholarships from its 2020 Scholarship Program. Awards recognize students for their dedication, and hope this support helps them meet their educational goals. A total of $105,000 has been awarded this year to students. Whitefish High School students receiving scholarships are Paul Geer and Mia Van Vlack.

FEC scholarships are funded by capital credit dollars that have gone unclaimed for five or more years, at which point state law allows FEC to use them for educational purposes in its service area, rather than going into the Montana general fund.

Scholarship money must be used to attend an accredited post-secondary education institution in Montana. For more information visit, www.flatheadelectric.com/scholarships.

• The Whitefish Lake Institute has awarded its Ripple Effect Scholarship awards to three Whitefish High School students. Recipients include Sam Menicke, who will study natural resources at Macalester College; Casey Schneider, who will attend Montana State University to study environmental science or environmental engineering; and Colter Upton, who will study natural resource at either Montana State University or Washington State University. All three applicants had outstanding academic and civic involvement in the community of Whitefish.

The Ripple Effect Scholarship Fund supports WLI’s goal of mentoring students as they follow their scientific curiosity, and encouraging them to continue their studies. This $500 scholarship is available to any Whitefish High School senior who is entering a four year university with plans to major in an environmental science field. Eligible majors include; environmental science/studies, environmental engineering, biology, and sustainability. Other majors will be considered if they demonstrate a link to an environmental emphasis.

All scholarships require students to engage in an application process that includes a letter of recommendation from an instructor familiar with student’s work, a copy of official school transcripts, and an essay describing student’s watershed ethic and why their ethic will help them become a good watershed steward. WLI staff reviews the applications and submits recommendations to WLI’s Science Advisory Committee for approval. Applications are due annually on April 1 and can be found on the WLI website www.whitefishlake.org.

• The prestigious P.E.O. STAR Scholarship for the 2019-2020 academic year, was presented to Jessica Henson, a senior at Whitefish High School.

Henson is the daughter of Michael and Jennie Henson and was recommended for this scholarship by P.E.O. Chapter BR of Whitefish.

She has been accepted and plans begin studies at Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science beginning this fall.

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship based on excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academics and potential for future success. For additional information on the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship, please contact Jill Waddell at 863-9256 or visit peointernational.org.

• P.E.O. Chapter D, Whitefish has announced that Allison Miller has been selected as a recipient of the International P.E.O. STAR Scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The $2,500 STAR scholarship is awarded to a high school senior on the following merits: leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community/volunteer service, and potential for future success.

Miller is President of Whitefish High School’s National Honor Society and has received the Academic Gold Letter Award for maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and was also named a National Merit Finalist. She participates in the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor club and has been a Sunday school teacher.

Miller plans to attend Biola University in Los Angeles in the fall of 2020, where she plans to pursue a degree in mathematics education through Biola’s honors program. Her goal is to become a secondary education math teacher.