PRECO Names Scholarship Winners
Operation Round Up, Peace River Electric Cooperative’s charitable foundation, granted $102,000 in college scholarships to 20 local students in 11 area schools. Since its launch in 2005, Operation Round Up has provided 234 college scholarships amounting to more than $1.1 million in the cooperative’s 10-county service area.
“In our current economy, many families are feeling the pinch of spiraling costs for basic needs, such as groceries, gasoline and medicines,” says Ellen Hamel, Operation Round Up board chairperson. “With these scholarship grants, we hope to ease some of the financial burden on college students and their families.”
To be eligible, student applicants must reside in a home served by PRECO, maintain good grades, be active in the community and submit an essay describing their life, career and educational goals.
Funding for Operation Round Up comes from the voluntary donations of PRECO’s member-consumers who allow their monthly electric bills to be “rounded up” to the next dollar. Funds collected are used to help local families and organizations with food, shelter, clothing, health, and education needs.
Learn more about Operation Round Up.
Scholarship winners
Liam Wilford Braden River High School $8,000
Michelle Leon-Garcia Fort Meade High School $8,000
Sarah Gibson Hardee High School $2,000
Zachary Geiger Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Sara Hutchinson Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Nicole Hyer Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Lexington Kahler Lakewood Ranch High School $8,000
Sam Leavy Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Kelsey McLeod Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Hannah, Pruszinske Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Gabriell Suazo-Gracia Lakewood Ranch High School $4,000
Courtney Bauer Manatee High School $4,000
Samantha Malcolm Out-of-Door Academy $8,000
Eleanor Hopkins Palmetto High School $8,000
Lauren Schindler Saint Stephen’s Episcopal $8,000
David Iten Southeast High School $4,000
Emma Zolecki Southeast High School $4,000
Rachel Garland Florida Southern University $4,000
Sydney Granack University of South Florida $4,000
Hudson Norman University of South Florida $4,000