PAEF Awards Scholarships for 2011

At it’s Annual Scholarship Reception held in the Sunshine Station’s main dining room , PAEF’s Vice President  and Scholarship Committee Chairperson, Sharon Christensen presented scholarships to eleven (11) very deserving students.  The students selected were screened by a very conscientious scholarship committee, which was broadly representative of Granite County as a whole.  The members of the committee were: Sue Eik, Fred Lurie, Ron Estes, Eaf Parke, and Sharon Christensen, Chairperson.

The Committee awarded two (2) Marletto Family Scholarships of $2,500.  Funds for these scholarships are provided by the Marletto Family of the Rock Creek Ranch and Granite Sportland. The recipients were Zachary Waldbillig, a 2011 graduate of Granite High School, and Alai Webb, a 2011 graduate of Drummond High School.

Zachary, the son of Jim and Jill Waldbillig of Philipsburg, will be attending the University of Montana College of Technology in Missoula this fall.  He plans to study diesel technology and work as a diesel technician upon his graduation.

Alai, the daughter of Paul and Connie Jo Webb of Avon, will be attending the University of Montana College of Technology in Missoula in the fall.  She plans to study Veterinary Science and eventually become a large animal vet.

Sharon Christensen and Megan Thorstensen

The $500 Sharon Christensen Scholarship was awarded to Michael Shattuck, a 2011 graduate of Granite High School.  Funds for this scholarship are provided by the Christensen family to honor Sharon’s many years of service to the students of the Philipsburg School District.

Michael, the son of Daniel Shattuck and Kelli Flynn of Philipsburg, plans to attend Montana State University in Bozeman in the fall where he will major in computer science.

The Committee also awarded two (2) Jon Manke Memorial Scholarships of $250 each.  These scholarships are given annually to honor the memory of Jon Manke, RN, who worked at the Granite County Medical Center for many years and was killed in a motorcycle accident shortly after his retirement.  The funds for these scholarships are donated by the employees of GCMC.  The students selected for the 2011 Manke Scholarships are  Libby Havranek, a 2011 graduate of Granite High School, and Brianna Jesse, a 2010 graduate of Drummond High School.

Libby, the daughter of Donald and Debra Havranek of Philipsburg, will be attending the University of Montana College of Technology in Missoula this fall.  She plans to become a Licensed Practical Nurse to help earn her way to becoming a Registered Nurse.

Brianna, the daughter of Keith and Lisa Jesse of Drummond, will be a sophomore at the University of Great Falls in the fall.  She is a biology major and is studying to become a physician’s assistant.

Mackenzie Bonney, a 2010 graduate of Granite High School was awarded the Rose and Thomas Brogan Memorial Scholarship for $1,500.  Funds for this scholarship are provided by the estate of Patricia Cloney, Brogan’s daughter.  An endowment account has been established to provide for this scholarship in perpetuity.  In addition, the family desires that this scholarship be given to a college student of at least sophomore standing who is majoring in business, economics or mathematics.

Mackenzie, the daughter of Max and Janeen Bonney of Philipsburg, will be a sophomore at the University of Montana in the fall where she will major in marketing in preparation for a career in advertising.

The PAEF Board of Directors’ Scholarship for $500 recipient is Ashley Boomer, a 2008 graduate of Granite High School.  The funds for this scholarship are provided by the personal donations of PAEF’s board members.

Ashley, the daughter of Alan and Leslie Boomer, is a senior at Montana State University in Bozeman where she will graduate in May 2012, with a degree in Animal Science.  She then plans to go on to become a veterinarian.

The Commander Bernard J. O’Rourke Scholarship for $1,000 was awarded by the committee, to Megan Thorstenson, a 2011 graduate of Granite High School.  Funds for this scholarship are provided by friends and family of Bernard O’Rourke, a former resident of Philipsburg, to honor the memory of him. The family has secured this scholarship in perpetuity by purchasing life insurance and receiving matching grants from the Boeing Foundation.

Megan, the daughter of Tad Thorstenson and Jamie Baumgartner of Philipsburg, is planning to attend Montana Tech in Butte and major in nursing.  She wants a career in nursing because she wants to do something that matters.

Two (2) Eik Family Scholarships of $500 each were also awarded by the Committee. Funds for these scholarships are donated by Pinky and Sue Eik who have also made contributions to an endowment account which will eventually fund these scholarships in perpetuity.  The students selected for these scholarships in 2011 were: Carly Johnson, a 2011 graduate of Granite High School, and Aaron Brashear, a 2009 graduate of Drummond High School.

Carly, the daughter of Jerry Johnson and Susan Sweeney of Philipsburg, will be attending the University of Montana – Western in the fall.  She is undecided about a major.  She is interested in Social Services, Wildlife Biology and Physical Therapy.

Aaron, the son of Shane Brashear and Libby Short of Drummond, will be receiving an AA degree in Natural Resource Biology from Northwest Community College in Powell, WY, this fall and will be transferring to Texas A & M in the spring.  At A&M he will be in the College of  Agriculture and Life Sciences for Renewable Natural Resources majoring in Spatial Science.  He is studying for a career in which he works with Geographic Informational Systems either in the private or public sector.

Carly Johnson, Megan Thorstensen and Libby Havranek

Seventh grader Audrie Parke of Drummond Junior High School was the winner of the first Keith Graybeal Memorial Scholarship essay contest.  Kerry Graybeal organized a committee to evaluate the essays written by seventh and eighth graders in the various Granite County schools.  The essays about “Why do I love to live in rural Montana?” were extraordinary in their content and writing style.  Ms. Graybeal’s committee evaluated all of the essays received and selected what they judged to be the best essay from each school participating.  These essays were then sent to the PAEF Scholarship Committee for a final selection which, as it turned out, was not an easy task.  In fact it took the committee more time to select the essay contest winner than it took them to select the recipients of the regular scholarships.

The awarding of the Keith Graybeal Memorial Scholarship represents a significant step toward the achievement of a major goal for PAEF.  Ultimately the goal is to begin to award scholarships to students beginning in the seventh grade to allow them to begin to have money set aside for their post secondary education.  PAEF rarely gives scholarship money directly to students, but rather transmits it directly to the school of the student’s choice.  In this way it is guaranteed that the money is used for its intended purpose.  In the case of the Graybeal Scholarship, $250 will be deposited in a special account in PAEF’s Endowment Fund and will earn interest, dividends and capital gains as the fund grows.  When Audrie graduates from high school and notifies PAEF which post secondary institution she plans to attend, a check representing the principal and interest in her account will be sent to that institution on her behalf.  Because of the vagaries of the stock and bond markets it is possible that the PAEF’s Endowment Fund could actually decline in value.  If this were to happen the PAEF will guarantee that Audrie will receive no less than the $250 originally awarded.

Audrie’s winning essay is printed in its entirety below:.

Why Country?

By Audrie Parke

Why do I love to live in rural Montana? The answer is simple. For just about any reason you can think of..

Often times when I go outside, I pause and enjoy the view. I take in the smells and feel the wind through my hair. I love Montana for its beauty. It looks like a giant topographical map spread out. Silvery streams slither through the trees and mountains, snaking across the land. Furry trees group together as if they are trying to stay warm. Animals hide among the trees, staying in the shadows. High mountains rise above the valleys and valleys look up to the mountains, as if admiring them. It is just as people describe it; big skies, mountains, and amazing valleys. Montana’s air is always crisp and clean, and the view is gorgeous.

Another reason that I enjoy living in Montana is the people you are around. Rural Montana has some of the best people around. Where I live, my cousins and relatives live very close together and we enjoy each other’s company. In fact, we live so close that some people that live around here call it the Parke Clan or the Parke Village. You never have to travel far to visit friends or family. Ranchers and farmers are always willing to lend a helping hand, and the townspeople are always up to the task as well. The people here are great.

I also like living in Montana because of the animals. Sometimes when I ride my horses I like to pretend I am one of the cowboys riding behind a huge herd of cattle on a cattle drive. Dust flies in the air, and you can hear the sound of the cowboys’ voices ring through the air. I love the animals here. As I ride through the fields on my horse, I often spot deer munching peacefully on grass. As you get closer, they poke their heads in the air, flip their little white tails up, and bound away. I also spot Sand Hill cranes wading in the water, looking for their next meal. Geese flyaway, honking in protest as a 4-wheeler drives close to them.

Branding is also one of my favorite reasons for living here. Around April, our ranch starts gathering up the calves to brand them. Everyone pitches in to help, even my 4 year old cousin, Scott. As we work in the heat, we laugh and joke and have a good time. When we are done branding a small bunch, we snack on cookies and drink pop. Then we are up for another bunch. Branding is fun because we get to learn how to brand the calves, give them vaccinations, notch their ears, and tag their ears. Sometimes, we are even allowed to ride the calves. It is like a mini rodeo. My relatives and I always have a lot of fun when we get together to brand.

As you can see now, I really love it here, and I don’t think I will ever move far away from Montana.