(ARLINGTON, VA.) The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) today announced the names of five students receiving Glenn English Scholarships this year, including the $10,000 scholarship awarded to the top student. The awards go to students who have shown a commitment to the Seven Cooperative Principles.
- Hayden Hefner ($10,000), a junior at the University of Oklahoma (Oklahoma Electric Cooperative in Oklahoma)
- Justin Korth ($1,000), a sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Cedar-Knox Public Power District in Nebraska)
- Jordan Geisert ($1,000), a sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (Midwest Electric Cooperative in Nebraska)
- Sarah Hempen ($1,000), a junior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Monroe County Electric Cooperative in Illinois)
- Samantha Rhodes($1,000), a junior at the University of Toledo in Ohio (Kosciusko REMC in Indiana)
“I am truly humbled by the generosity of the Glenn English Scholarship Foundation,” said Hayden Hefner, recipient of the $10,000 scholarship. “Receiving this scholarship will allow me to finish my degree and pursue my goal of attending seminary after graduation.”
All winning applicants participated in NRECA’s Youth Tour, are full-time students and have completed one year of study at their respective institutions. Full eligibility details are available on NRECA.coop.
NRECA evaluated applicants on their GPA, internships, extra-curricular activities, leadership and involvement in cooperative programs.
A tireless consumer advocate and former CEO of NRECA, Glenn English has spent his career championing the cooperative business model and fighting to improve the quality of life for all Americans.
Cooperatives around the world operate according to a core set of principles. The following seven principles, along with the cooperative purpose of improving quality of life for their members, make electric cooperatives different from other electric utilities:
- Voluntary and open membership
- Democratic member control
- Members’ economic participation
- Autonomy and independence
- Education, training and information
- Cooperation among cooperatives
- Concern for community
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.