La Plata Electric names college scholarship recipients

Academic achievements of five area high school seniors recognized

 

Recipients of the 2010-2011 La Plata Electric, John Voelker Memorial, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Tri-State Generation and Transmission scholarships have been announced by La Plata Electric Association (LPEA).

• Christina Spriggs, a 2010 graduate from Grace Preparatory Academy of Durango, has been awarded the 26th Annual LPEA College Scholarship, a four-year scholarship (up to $5000 annually) to any college or university. She is the daughter of Steve and Catherine Spriggs of Durango.

• § Eric Salvo, a 2010 graduate of Ignacio High School and son of Robert and Marisa Salvo, has been awarded LPEA’s John Voelker Memorial Scholarship for vocational, technical school or junior college.
• § Taylor Cunningham, a 2010 graduate of Pagosa Springs High School and son of Leon and Cindy Cunningham, was awarded the $1,000 Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship.

• Jordan Davey, a 2010 graduate Pagosa Springs High School and son of Tom and Julie Davey, and Jesse Ellison, a 2010 graduate of Bayfield High School and son of Carl Ellison and Cindy Cox, each received $500 scholarships from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. 

“We had a tremendous response to our call for applications this year,” said Jeannie Bennett, coordinator of LPEA’s scholarship process. “All the scholarship recipients this year are great students with exciting potential. At LPEA we are proud to be able to offer these educational opportunities to help build for the future.”

Scholarships are awarded annually, selected by a volunteer committee representing communities within LPEA’s service territory – Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio and Pagosa Springs.

In addition to their financial awards, scholarship recipients have the opportunity to attend the week-long La Plata Electric Summer Leadership Camp. Scholarship winners are also required to attend the LPEA Annual Meeting, as well as attend a regularly scheduled LPEA board meeting to personally meet the directors.

For further information or questions regarding future scholarship opportunities, contact Bennett at 970.382.3505, or [email protected].

LPEA, a Touchstone Energy Cooperative established in 1939, provides reliable electrical power and related energy services to its nearly 30,000 members, with more than 40,000 meters. For additional information, contact LPEA at 970.247.5786 or visit www.lpea.coop.

 

 

Additional Information on scholarship recipients:

 

Christina Spriggs

26^th Annual LPEA Scholarship

A 2010 graduate of Grace Preparatory Academy and daughter of Steve and Catherine Spriggs of Durango, Christina earned a cumulative 4.0 GPA. She will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

Christina, student council vice president and Merit Scholar Candidate, is a recipient of the Rotary Club Leadership Award and Distinguished Christian Student Award. Throughout her undergraduate years she has excelled in academics, athletics, ministry and service to her community and school.

As part of her mission trips and additional travel, Christina has had opportunity to help those in need in rural Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and more. She’s also served in Denver, where she fed and assisted the homeless and taught inner city children. Locally, the Manna Soup Kitchen, Special Olympics and additional organizations have been the recipient of her generosity.

Christina, who will study engineering at CSU, in part selected her academic path so she might eventually join Engineers without Borders. She noted “…if we would simply open our eyes and look around, take our focus off of ourselves, we would see that there are people all around the world who struggle for the simple necessities that we take for granted. I want to do more with my life than to make a living. I dream of making a difference.”

The LPEA scholarship, awarded annually to one high school senior, provides up to $5,000 each year for four years for tuition, books and fees.

 

 

Eric Salvo

LPEA John Voelker Memorial Scholarship for Vocational, Technical School or Junior College

Eric Salvo, son of Robert and Marisa Salvo of Ignacio, is a 2010 graduate of Ignacio High School. He is graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.839 and plans to pursue a career in welding and fire science technology at Southwest Colorado Community College, in Mancos.

Active in the Boy Scouts of America since the age of six, Eric earned his Eagle Scout in December 2008. As a scout he has enjoyed years of community service and non-profit involvement.

A member of the Ignacio High Knowledge Bowl team, Eric has interned for the school district technology department. He has also worked for Republic Parking Services at the Durango-La Plata County Airport for nearly two years, helping maintain the automated services and parking areas.

While he intends to become a firefighter, Eric said, “I have been taking a welding class in Ignacio for all four years of high school. I am very good at welding and can operate almost every kind of welding machine.”

Eric is the tenth recipient of LPEA’s John Voelker Memorial Scholarship, named after LPEA board member John Voelker, who was instrumental in creating the scholarship that awards up to $3,000 per year to students planning to attend a vocational, technical school or junior college. Voelker perished in the Egyptian Air plane crash in October of 1999.

 

 

Taylor Cunningham

$1,000 Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship

A 2010 graduate of Pagosa Springs High School, Taylor is the daughter of Leon and Cindy Cunningham of Pagosa Springs. Graduating with a cumulative 3.719 GPA, she will attend Fort Lewis College in the fall where she plans to major in psychology, and minor in Spanish and childhood education.

Taylor is treasurer of the National Honor Society and has been actively involved in Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club and more, all of which have afforded her experience in many non-profit activities and community events. Since her freshman year, she has worked part time in a local dentistry office, and recently took on a second job at a local coffee house.

As Taylor explained, “Not only have the jobs I have involved myself in been helpful throughout high school, but it will also with future goals. My future long term goals are inclusive of medical school and eventually a career in pediatrics.”

 

 

Jordan Davey

$500 Tri-State Generation & Transmission scholarship

Jordan is 2010 graduate of Pagosa Springs High School with a cumulative 3.825 GPA. He is the son of Tom and Julie Davey of Pagosa Springs, and plans to attend Western State College of Colorado and pursue the double major of communications and accounting.

Jordan has been active for numerous years in Future Business Leaders of America, and took honors in the Accounting I competition, placing first at the State Leadership Conference and qualifying for the National Leadership Conference.

Lettering in Varsity soccer, where he also served as co-captain, Jordan volunteered as a coach for both boys and girls junior high school soccer. He has shared his time on mission trips to Puerto Penasco and Denver, building houses, distributing food and other community efforts for those in need.

Jordan hopes in his life to reach “… a point where the change in the community I live in and the people I come into contact with, rather than a swollen 401k or a full garage, will illustrate the accomplishments of my life.”

 

 

Jesse Ellison

$500 Tri-State Generation & Transmission Scholarship

A 2010 graduate of Bayfield High School, Jesse is the son of Carl Ellison and Cindy Cox of Bayfield. He plans to pursue aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado -Boulder.

Graduating with a cumulative 3.741GPA, Jesse has a penchant for innovation and invention – building new as well as reassembling old items to enhance their functions. He is currently building a new space propulsion system.

Jesse has been a regular winner at the annual Science Fair on both local and state levels, and is currently vice president of Skills USA. A consistent member of Honor Roll, he also finds time to meet weekly with autistic students to discuss science.

Jesse sees his path to aerospace engineering as firm, explaining, “I don’t think of this goal as something to shoot for, but rather as an inevitable milestone in my life. I am going to change science as we know it. What will lead up to this accomplishment will be a lifetime of hard and diligent work.”