In 2024, SELCO beefed up its scholarship program by upping the total amount awarded to $77,500 and expanding eligibility to include continuing, vocational, and nontraditional students.
For the first time, SELCO awarded 20 students with $3,500 scholarships and an additional student with the Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship worth $7,500.
Before the change, SELCO had awarded 19 students with $2,500 scholarships and handed out one Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship worth $5,000. With tuition continuously increasing, along with the needs of students across the board, we decided to reinvest even more in our students.
The result of these changes? A record-breaking application pool filled with students pursuing diverse educational paths.
Expanding eligibility
Our first recipient pursuing a vocational path was Reese Biehler from Cottage Grove High School.
“I plan to attend NLC Northwest Lineman College and become a lineman,” Biehler said. “I want to be focused on my career serving a community. Lineman is really community-involved, as you’re in charge of turning the lights on to keep people warm.”
SELCO will maintain an expanded eligibility for all future scholarships as it aligns with our beliefs that there should be no barriers preventing someone from pursuing an education.
Spotlight: Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship
Every year we award one student with a Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship. The scholarship was developed in honor of Richard Metzler, a retired board member who served SELCO for over four decades. Metzler was also a director and supervisor of special education in Springfield Public Schools for more than 30 years.
In 2024, the $7,500 Richard Metzler Opportunity Scholarship was awarded to Victor Yanez of Eugene. After graduation, Yanez will be pursuing a nursing degree from Lane Community College (LCC), touted as one of the most competitive in Oregon, in the fall of 2024. Yanez plans to become a nurse practitioner after his schooling is complete.
Celebrating Our Scholarship Class of 2024
SELCO is also proud to recognize the recipients of the 2024 SELCO Scholarship. The 2024 class is full of talented students from across Oregon and neighboring areas. Their educational pursuits include traditional college, and vocational institutions.
What makes this class special is a few things. Above all, it’s the first set of scholarship recipients from SELCO’s new era of expanded eligibility. The next is the mere fact they come from the largest pool to date. These recipients represent wide interests and backgrounds, united by ambition and community spirit.
See a full list of of our recipients below:
