MOORE HAVEN — The Glades Electric Educational Foundation (GEEF) awarded $48,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in 2023. The foundation awarded eight $4,000 scholarships to be disbursed over four years, six one-time $2,000 scholarships, and four one-time $1,000 scholarships. Since its inception through April 2023, the foundation has awarded over $676,000 to exemplary scholars.
Eighteen high school seniors throughout Glades Electric Cooperative's service area in Highlands, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee counties were selected as scholarship recipients. Students were chosen based upon academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, essays, and financial need. Scholarships are funded by unclaimed Glades Electric Cooperative capital credits.
In addition to the scholarships for college, Glades Electric also sponsored two students — Allyson Lara and Salome Ortiz — on an all-expenses paid educational trip to Washington D.C., as part of a national electric cooperative program. They were selected to represent Glades Electric Cooperative this summer and will join with peers from across the country in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's annual Washington Youth Tour. For over 50 years, NRECA has hosted this week on Capitol Hill to help students explore the political process.
The Washington Youth Tour recipients and the $4,000 scholarship winners were honored at the Glades Electric Educational Foundation's Youth Scholarship Banquet held at the Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center on April 25.
This year's $4,000 scholarship recipients, who were honored at the ceremony, include Lillian Everett and Riley Mullens from Moore Haven Middle-High School; Brianna Calvo and Isabely Gomez from Florida Virtual School; Lilly Canevari and Brooke Moon from Lake Placid High School; and Adam Moore and Hannah Rathbun from Okeechobee High School.
Glades Electric CEO Jeff Brewington said, "The annual GEEF Scholarship Banquet is my favorite event on the cooperative's business calendar. It is very rewarding to recognize the top students in our service territory and help them on their way to a better future."
The $2,000 scholarship recipients included from Agape Christian School, Matthew Ezell; from Clewiston Christian School, Izabella Szucs and Lorelei Lazo; from Clewiston High School, Alexis Imhoff and Aliana Smith; and from Lake Placid High School, Rebecca Peitz. The $1,000 scholarship winners from Avon Park High School were Taylor Lillpop; from Okeechobee High School, John Williamson and Laci Prescott; and from Lake Placid High School, Eli Ming.
The Glades Electric Educational Foundation is a 501©3 not-for-profit established to award scholarships to high school seniors served by Glades Electric Cooperative, Inc. The foundation also awards technical scholarships for programs at iTECH Glades Technical College.
Glades Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric utility cooperative established in Moore Haven, Florida in 1945 serving over 17,000 accounts in Glades, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties.
