PEC celebrates 85 years with 85 scholarships
Co-op awards $100K to power continued education for area students
PEC’s history of supporting local students through scholarships spans more than two decades and highlights our commitment to the communities we serve.
In honor of PEC’s 85th anniversary of powering the Texas Hill Country, the cooperative recently awarded $100,000 in scholarships to 85 outstanding area students. Scholarships awarded ranged from $1,000 to $3,500 to 73 high school students and 12 adult members seeking to further their education. Students may use these funds to pay for expenses at any accredited university, college, junior college, technical school, or trade school.
Applicants submitted essays describing a time when they didn’t succeed and what they learned from the experience. A panel of independent judges evaluated nearly 500 applicants based on their academic performance, leadership, and financial need. Since beginning the program 24 years ago, PEC has provided more than $1.4 million in scholarships to area students.
“This year we received more scholarship applications than ever before, so we thought it fitting to commemorate PEC’s anniversary with a record number of awards,” said PEC Community Outreach Specialist Celeste Mikeska. “We know this is one of the most impactful ways to show our community we care, and we’re overjoyed to play a part in shaping the learning and futures of these area students.”
Those who earned scholarships in 2023 are:
Marble Falls
Emma Boerm, Marble Falls High School
Taylor Clark, adult member
Enrique Loredo, adult member
Mackenzie Farmer, Marble Falls High School
Gretchen Hanneman, Marble Falls High School
Jordan Jones, Marble Falls High School
Kara Kwan, Faith Academy of Marble Falls
Elizabeth Lilly, Homeschool
Burnet
Aedan McLennan, Burnet High School
Lampasas
Owen Stubbs, Lampasas High School
Leander
Hailey Gonzalez, adult member
Katherine Griffith, Rouse High School
Delainey Jones, Rouse High School
Dylan Kline, adult member
Akhil Perla, Tom Glenn High School
Lauryn Rios, Homeschool
Liberty Hill
Abigail Bolanos, Liberty Hill High School
Kennedy Bye, Liberty Hill High School
Robert Irwin, adult member
Carlton Schrank, Liberty Hill High School
Cedar Park
Pedro Gabriel Amorim Camara, Vista Ridge High School
Noah Bethapudi, Vista Ridge High School
Rhodesia DeShazer, adult member
Kaci Craddock, Cedar Park High School
Aidan Cruz, Vista Ridge High School
Ashton Eastwood, Vista Ridge High School
John Fell, Cedar Park High School
Sydney Fielding, Cedar Park High School
Laura Hunter, Cedar Park High School
Julianne Insall, Vista Ridge High School
Claire Poulter, Cedar Park High School
Aarjav Vani, Vista Ridge High School
Paula Warren, Vista Ridge High School
Round Rock
Abbigail Arcaya, Westwood High School
Akshay Gaitonde, Westwood High School
Ayush Pai, Round Rock High School
Brandi Tai, Westwood High School
Vibha Velur, Westwood High School
Georgetown
Landyn Colburn, Georgetown High School
Josie Gerdes, Georgetown High School
Jasmine Lupo, adult member
Lago Vista
Christopher Minjarez, adult member
Johnson City
Kori-mei Fiero, LBJ High School
Hadley Snodgrass, LBJ High School
Blanco
Madison Kinley Felps, Blanco High School
Austin
Alan Bao, Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA)
Kaelyn Bombick, Lake Travis High School
Jonathan Calvert, Veritas Academy
Isabelle Detrich, James Bowie High School
Esther Laiming, Homeschool
Ella Lutz-Carrillo, Akins High School
Ava Perry, adult member
Christine Tian, Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA)
Addison Vickers, Lake Travis High School
Kelvin Wang, Anderson High School
Ian Watson-Hemphill, Acton Academy
Buda
Caitlin Brock, Moe and Gene Johnson High School
Lauren Craig, adult member
Robert Farrell, Moe and Gene Johnson High School
Reannah Nolte, Moe and Gene Johnson High School
Chloe Schiener, Jack C. Hays High School
Kyle
Ana Garza, adult member
Dripping Springs
Jakob Becker, Dripping Springs High School
Julia Carter, Dripping Springs High School
Evelyn Chis, Dripping Springs High School
Mattie Gretzinger, Dripping Springs High School
Margot Heltzel, Dripping Springs High School
James Lee, Dripping Springs High School
Perri Parnell, Dripping Springs High School
John Martinez, Dripping Springs High School
Camryn Sulser, Dripping Springs High School
Katherine Tressler, Dripping Springs High School
Jackson Ledbetter, U.S. Performance Academy
San Marcos
Kaelen Hatton, adult member
Wimberley
Brayden Chambliss, Wimberley High School
Bryce Phillips, Wimberley High School
Jacob Rose Parks, Clyde High School
Emmie Van DeWalle, Wimberley High School
Spring Branch
Grace Guest, Smithson Valley High School
Ryan Harkin, Smithson Valley High School
Emma Siebold, Smithson Valley High School
Kendalia
Elora Wheat, Homeschool
Boerne
Matthey Francis, Boerne High School
Jaclyn Purchatzke, Samuel V. Champion High School
Turner Rey, Samuel V. Champion High School
Congratulations to our 2023 recipients! To learn more about PEC’s scholarship program, visit pec.coop/scholarships.