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Three area high school seniors have received $500 “Future Leadership” scholarships from the Democratic Party of Baxter County, the party announced.
Mountain Home High School seniors Brandon Munson and Rylee Roberts and Cotter High School senior Shawna Foster received the awards. They were announced at ceremonies at the students’ schools on May 12, said party Chair Mary O’Shields.
The scholarships are open to Baxter County seniors who show civic engagement and plan to study history, politics, journalism, education or law, O’Shields said.
“DPBC offered scholarships to support local students beginning last year,” O’Shields said. “We are so very grateful to our members for donations that fund the awards. We hope to continue to award more scholarships in the future.”
The party funded the awards through member donations. Two came from individual members, one of them anonymous, and a third drew from general donations, O’Shields said.
O’Shields said she proposed the program with former party co-treasurers Mike and Karen Breton. A committee set the criteria and application process, worked with Mountain Home, Norfork and Cotter high schools and reviewed the submissions.
Kirstin and Micha Johnson funded one award in honor of Kirstin’s grandfather, Ray Amundsen.
“My grandfather believed strongly in the importance of pursuing higher education,” Kirstin Johnson said. She said Amundsen supported his grandchildren and great-grandchildren through college, and that the family wanted to carry on his legacy.
O’Shields is running for Mountain Home City Council, and Micha Johnson is running for a seat on the Baxter County Quorum Court this year.
