JSI congratulates the winners of this year's Staurulakis Family Scholarships, given out as part of the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) 2013 scholarship program. FRS awarded over $98,000 for 36 scholarships to rural youth across the United States, and four students were selected to receive the $5,000 FRS Staurulakis Family Scholarships, which give preference to outstanding applicants with an interest in science, math, medicine, or engineering.
Each of the Staurulakis Family Scholarship winners have excelled academically, while volunteering in their communities, holding down jobs and overcoming personal hardships. The four 2013 winners are:
Aimee Calmes - Nominated by Cameron Telephone Company (LA)
Aimee is president of her senior class, a reporter for the school newspaper and president of the school's Honor Society, as well as the recipient of several school academic awards. Aimee's home life could have been a huge roadblock to her success (her parents both suffer from drug addictions), but she'll graduate first in her class with a 3.9 GPA. Aimee has been accepted to Northwestern State University and will study pharmacy/nursing.
Blakely Goans - Nominated by Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative Corporation (TN)
Blake has worked more than 40 hours per week at the local Dairy Queen to help support his grandmother and six siblings while maintaining a 3.9 GPA. He also cofounded a local organization called Skaters Working for a Better Community that worked to improve the image of skateboarders through volunteering and outreach. Blake hopes to attend Vanderbilt University to study chemistry.
Jacob Pinson - Nominated by West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative (SC)
Jacob is a student athlete who has been ranked #1 in his class since his freshman year of high school. He's been named a South Carolina Junior Scholar and was selected by his school to represent them at the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership conference. Jacob plans to study civil engineering at Clemson University this fall.
Sara Williams - Nominated by Skyline Membership Corporation (NC)
Sara has maintained a 3.9 GPA while raising a child she had her sophomore year of high school. She was able to stay focused on her academics and credits her daughter with leading her to her career choice - nursing - in hopes of someday helping other young expectant mothers. Sara will attend Appalachian State University.
These scholarships were established as part of JSI's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2012 and will continue each year as part of the FRS scholarship program. FRS received 1,588 applications in 2013, and scholarship recipients were selected by an independent team of reviewers from the education field. To be eligible, recipients must be sponsored by a NTCA member company, and must indicate a desire to return to their rural communities once their collegiate studies have been completed.
