2010 Farmers Rural Electric Cooperative Scholarship Winners
Farmers RECC scholarship winners named
When Andrea Compton graduated this year from Glasgow High School, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her future. What she wasn’t sure about was where her journey would begin
When Andrea was named a Farmers RECC scholarship recipient this summer, her college choice was clear. Now, her journey to become an equine therapist and acupuncturist has begun at Midway College, the only school in the state that offers a specialized degree in equine health and rehabilitation
It wouldn’t have been possible without her Farmers scholarship. “It was really exciting in light of my trying to determine which school I would attend,” said Andrea, the daughter of Michael and Nancy Compton of Glasgow. “Money was the main issue and the scholarship was a glimmer of hope and helped make my decision possible. The scholarship really made possible a better education by allowing me to choose a private college that offered the perfect program for my area of study.
A key part of Farmers RECC’s educational advancement benefits, the Scholarship Program awarded college aid to six deserving students in 2010.
As a business deeply involved in the communities it serves, Farmers RECC considers the scholarship program an investment in tomorrow. “When you look at the list of recipients,” said president and CEO Bill Prather, “it’s obvious that the young people in our service area have ambitious plans for the future and we’re pleased to contribute to that in some way.”
For Andrea, the scholarship is helping make her dream come true. “I have always loved horses and when I read a book series called Heartland, I rediscovered that love and found my dream job,” she said. “The farm in the story rehabilitated and re-homed abandoned, abused, and neglected horses. They rehabilitated the horses through alternative methods and behavioral techniques such as herbal remedies, essential oil use, and even acupuncture.”
Scholarship recipient Kayla Thompson has been nurturing her dream of teaching elementary school since she was young. “One of my favorite things to do growing up was to play school,” said Kayla. “I had a marker board, chalk board, and began keeping all of my workbooks from my previous year of schooling, so I could teach it to my imaginary students. It's a great feeling to know you've had a helping hand in molding a child's life.”
Kayla, daughter of Steve and Rhonda Thompson of Center, is at Western KY University this fall, majoring in elementary education. Her Farmers RECC scholarship was a bonus she didn’t expect. “Once you start thinking about how you're going to play for college -- get a job, get a loan -- it's nice toknow that you have a $1,000 scholarship waiting for you,” said Kayla. “I'm blessed to have parents who will assist me with my college expenses, but I know this scholarship will help them out quite a bit. That's $1,000they don't have to pay, so they're excited along with me.”
Scholarship recipient Taylor Emberton said she “felt very blessed” to be chosen to receive a financial boost from Farmers as she begins her trek to medical school.
Taylor, daughter of Tim and Kim Emberton of Glasgow, is attending Western Kentucky University as a biology/chemistry pre-med major, and plans to study pathology in medical school. “I began to gain interest in biology early in my high school career,” Taylor said. “I loved biology and it seemed to come naturally to me. By the end of my sophomore year of high school I knew that I would love a career in the medical field and I've never had a second thought about it since then.”
Thanks to Farmers, Taylor and her fellow scholarship recipients have a lighter financial load this fall as they begin their career course. “The finances really add up,” Taylor said, “but Farmers is very encouraging to offer financial aid to many members, and that lets us know they truly care about our education.
A not-for-profit corporation founded in 1938 to provide affordable and reliable electric power to its member-owners, Farmers serves more than 23,000 consumers in Barren, Hart, Metcalfe, Grayson, Adair, Edmonson, Green, and Larue counties. Farmers is a member-owner of East Kentucky Power Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative headquarter in Winchester. EKPC’s 16 member cooperatives serve the electric power needs of nearly one million Kentuckians in 89 of the state’s 120 counties.