Geoffrey Petis: Clubs give scholarships
This letter is being written in response to Melinda Clark’s “Scholarships Limited” Letter to the Editor of April 14. First, I would like to thank Ms. Clark for drawing attention to an important local, regional, district-wide — and even national — issue. Ensuring that our youth have the opportunity to attend a post-secondary institute of higher learning is a long-term, important issue which will ultimately affect all of us.
Although I write not as a parent, I look forward to the day when I can help my child(ren) with scholarship applications. Rather, today, I write as a board member of both the Young Professionals Network as well as the Steamboat Ski Town Lions Club. Both of these organizations provide scholarships to our college-bound seniors.
The Young Professionals Network hosts the Y.E.S. (Youth Education Scholarship) Golf Tournament every spring. Annually, this tournament raises approximately $10,000 in scholarship money, which is given out to Routt County high school graduating seniors and past recipients of the award. In the past 27 years, the Y.E.S. Golf tournament has awarded nearly $200,000 in scholarship money to Routt County students — students from all across our county. The application deadline for the Y.E.S. scholarship was April 8.
Additionally, the Steamboat Ski Town Lions Club has an annual scholarship, which the Lions Club has been doing for more than 25 years. During this time frame, the Ski Town Lions Club has also given out close to $200,000 to Routt County students. The Lions Club sends out applications to the counselors at every school in Routt County in the late fall/early winter. The annual deadline to apply was Wednesday.
Although we are close to or past the deadline for these scholarship applications for this year, I would encourage all Routt County parents to calendar these deadlines for their children for next year. I would also encourage parents to register for or sponsor a hole for the Y.E.S. Golf Tournament and to support the Lions Club fundraisers (Mustang Roundup, Fourth of July pancake breakfast, Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Christmas tree sales). The more money our clubs raise, the more money we can donate to our graduating seniors.
Finally, a note to our young people: I would encourage all Routt County high school seniors to apply for these scholarships. Whether you’re heading for university, culinary school, community college or a trades school, apply. Whether you think you’ll get the scholarship or not, apply. Even if you have already been awarded a scholarship, apply. Higher education is expensive.
Whether you realize it now or not, you are the future of tomorrow. These scholarships can really help with the financial burden of education after high school. So apply. If you don’t get one, apply for another. And if you don’t get any, apply for financial assistance. During your years of higher education, you will be amazed at what you learn, will forever value the lasting friendships you make and will thank yourself later for investing in your (our) future.
Geoffrey Petis
Ski Town Lions Club secretary-elect
YPN board member
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