Blue Ridge Electric Supports Education Through Scholarships
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (March 3, 2000) – Adults and high school seniors looking for help with college expenses may be eligible for scholarship money from Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation. A total of $15,600 is available through 12 scholarships for qualifying students in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, and Wilkes counties.
This year, ten Goodman-Hurt scholarships will be awarded to area students. These include: five $2,000 scholarships for high school seniors pursuing a four-year degree at a college or university, and five $800 scholarships for high school seniors or adults seeking a two-year degree from a local community college.
Two additional scholarships are available in Caldwell and Ashe counties for students planning to enter a two-year technical/vocational program. The $800 Charles Suddreth scholarship will be awarded to an individual living in Caldwell County, and the $800 Tom Cockerham scholarship will go to a resident of Ashe County.
The Cockerham and Suddreth scholarships were established by family members and friends of the two as lasting memorials for their years of service on Blue Ridge Electric’s Board of Directors. The Goodman-Hurt scholarship was established in 1960 as a memorial to two former board presidents of the cooperative – the late J.C. Goodman of West Jefferson and A.B. Hurt of Nathans Creek.
To be eligible for the scholarships, adults and parents of high school seniors making application must permanently reside in Blue Ridge Electric’s service territory.
Applications are available through high school guidance counselors or at any of the cooperative’s local district offices.
Blue Ridge Electric will select winners of the $2,000 scholarship. The deadline to apply is April 17. Those applying for the two-year scholarship should check with the community college they plan to attend for the application deadline. Personnel at the community colleges will select all $800 winners.
For more information, contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, by calling your local Blue Ridge Electric office.
Blue Ridge Electric is a not-for-profit electric utility serving 61,000 customers in northwestern North Carolina. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides propane, home heating oil, and commercial gasoline to a 13-county area.
