Scholarships are awarded each year during Grayson RECC’s  Annual Meeting.  Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors and non-traditional students within the service territory of Grayson RECC.  The scholarship program is designed to enhance the education and resulting careers of deserving students in our area.  Students must complete an application and an essay.  The 2013 scholarships were judged by an outside committee of judges.  In 2013, scholarships were awarded to 10 high school seniors from Carter, Elliott, Greenup, Rowan, and Lewis counties.

Luis Loza is a graduate of Elliott County High School. Luis’s adoptive mother is Pauline Campbell from Sandy Hook. He plans to attend Northern Kentucky University and receive a double major in Electronics Engineering Technology and Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering Technology.  The three most significant activities during his high school life included being an active member of the Elliott County High School Beta Club, Morehead State University’s Upward Bound program, and being part of the Cross Country team.

Jessica Bailey is a graduate of Greenup County High School.  Jessica’s parents are David and Cheryl Bailey of Greenup.  Her grandparents are Elmer and Geneva Bailey of Greenup and Norma Clark of Flatwoods.  She plans to attend the University of Kentucky to become a Landscape Architect.  The three most significant activities during her high school life included FFA, FBLA, and playing tennis. 

Belle Lemaster is a graduate of Greenup County High School.  Her parents are Brian and Melissa Lemaster of Greenup  Her grandparents are Kenny and Linda Ball of Wurtland and Larry and Sue Lemaster of Greenup.  She plans to attend the University of Pikeville and pursue a degree in medicine.  She aspires to be a medical doctor..  Her three most significant high school activities included the band, Beta Club, and PEPP medical program at University of Pikeville.

Kanela Marie Darling is a graduate of Lewis County High School.  Her parents are Chandra Marie Darling of Grayson and Christopher Wayne Darling of Vanceburg.  Her grandparents are Tom and Billie Potter from Garrison and Ken and Angie Darling from Aberdeen, Ohio.  She plans to attend Maysville Community Technical College to become an RN, then transfer to UK to become a Neonatal doctor.  Her three most significant high school activities included FBLA, HOSA, and Pep club.

Savannah Lewis is a graduate of West Carter High School.  Her parents are Rick and Rhonda Lewis of Olive Hill.  Her grandparents are Mitch and Shirley Roe from Emerson, and Martha Lewis from Grayson, and Fred Lewis of Olive Hill.  She plans to attend Morehead State University and major in Convergent Media and work as a photojournalist.  Her three most significant high school activities included her youth group praise and worship team, Girl Scout Troop 948, and 4-H.

Erin Quinn Hamm is a graduate of Rowan County High School.  Her parents are Larry and Marcella Hamm of Elliottville.  Her grandparents are Virginia and Robert Blevins of Soldier, and the late Lester Conley and the late Eula Conley of Gary, Indiana, and the late John Osborne of Elliottville, and the late James Allen Hamm of Morehead.  She plans to attend Morehead State University and become a Radiology Technician.  While in high school her three most significant activities included being a member of the Rowan county marching, concert, and pep band, playing in the pep band at the 2011 and 2012 Boys Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena, and doing the Harlem Shake with her senior class.

Alexander Thomas Napier is a graduate of East Carter High School.  His parents are Thomas and Stacy Napier of Carter.  His grandparents are Larry and the late Catherine Sperry of Carter, and Thomas and Virginia Napier of Lavalette, West Virginia.  He plans to attend Northern Kentucky University and study Mechanical Engineering in Diesel Technology.  His three most significant high school activities included Track & Field and Cross Country, FFA, and KYA.

Dalton Gifford is a graduate of East Carter High School.  His parents are Donald and Cheryl Gifford of Grayson.  He is the grandson of the late Clayton and Daisy Gifford and Carolyn Stephens of Grayson and Raymond Stephens of Grayson.  He plans to attend Morehead State University and major in pre-medicine.  His three most significant high school activities included soccer, track and Beta Club.

Ryan Tolliver is a graduate of Raceland-Worthington High School.  His parents are Phillip and Wendy Tolliver of Greenup.  His grandparents are Donald and Mary Tolliver from Greenup, and Wendell and Pat Burchett from Raceland.  He plans to attend the University of Kentucky and become a civil engineer.  His three most significant high school activities included baseball, FBLA and BETA Club.

John Christopher Harper is a graduate of Elliott County High School.  His parents are Chris and Sharon Harper of Isonville.  His grandparents are Wick and Florina Harper of Isonville and Wilbur Gilliam and the late Wanda Gilliam of Isonville.   He plans to attend Morehead State University and seek a degree in the medical field and a possible military career. His three most significant high school activities included chaplain in FCA, Lieutenant Colonel in JROTC, and the Archery Team.

Each year in June, an action-filled week provides high school students opportunities to learn first-hand what it is like to be involved in politics, community service, and today’s pressing issues.  Highlights include meeting with their elected representatives in the U.S. House and Senate to discuss the process of government and issues of the day and increasing their knowledge of cooperative electric utilities and American history.

                The Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour is conducted by the Louisville-based Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives (KAEC) on behalf of 22 participating Kentucky electric distribution cooperatives.  The activity is part of a larger, nationwide youth program sponsored by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Arlington, Virginia, that brings 1,500 high students to the nation’s capitol each year.

                In addition to taking in the sights and sounds of the nation’s capital, the Kentucky students will join students from around the country for NRECA’s Youth Day to learn from public figures and other inspirational speakers.

Since 1972, Kentucky’s electric cooperatives have sent more than 2,000 high school students to Washington, DC, for visits with their U.S. senators and representatives, energy and grassroots government education sessions, and sightseeing.

KAEC is the statewide service organization that represents Kentucky’s 26 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives that provide electric service to nearly 2 million Kentuckians in 117 of the state’s 120 counties.  For more information about the Kentucky Rural Electric Washington Youth Tour, visit http://youthtour.kaec.org.