2012 FRED Scholarship Recipients Announced
Congratulations to the 52 students who received FRED scholarships this spring. FRED awarded $76,000 to an exceptional group of students. Thank you to their telephone companies for nominating them and for their support of this program. For a complete list of winners, please click here.

About the Program
Each year, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development awards scholarships to rural America's most accomplished and intelligent students. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are funded by the FRED Scholarship Endowment and by donations to the FRED Annual Giving Campaign. The Everette Kneece Return to Rural America Scholarship honors Mr. Kneece's vital and pioneering efforts on behalf of FRED and is awarded in the amount of $5,000 to the year's top applicant. An estimated $75,000 will be awarded in 2012.

**To apply for any FRED Scholarship students must live in or attend school in an OPASTCO member's service area. To find out if you are in the service area of an OPASTCO member, please contact your local telephone company.**

If you have questions about comlpeting your application, you may use the sample information below. If you still have questions regarding the application or the process in general, please contact the FRED office at 202/833-2776.

A sample Telco letter of nomination, sample financial statement I or a second sample financial statement II are also available. A sample application can be viewed here.

2012 Scholarship Recipients

In 2012, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the OPASTCO membership during the FRED Annual Giving Campaign and FRED Taxes Donors, a total of $76,000 was awarded to 52 new scholarship recipients. The Foundation for Rural Education and Development is pleased to present the 2012 class of FRED scholars. Congratulations to all the winners!

A sample press release can be found here for the nominating telephone companies.

Everette Kneece Return to Rural America Scholarship- $5,000
Jay Turner
Nominated by: Park Region Mutual Telephone Company

Jere Johnson Presidential Scholarship- $3,000
Staley Smith
Nominated by: ComSouth Telecommunications

FRED General Scholarship- $3,000

Natasha Hongsermeier
Nominated by: Hamilton Telecommunications

FRED General Scholarships- $2,500

Nikita Baughman
Nominated by: Citizens Telephone Company

Jordan Thigpen
Nominated by: Otelco Inc.

Emillie Taylor
Nominated by: Rural Telephone Service Company Inc.

Garrett Shafer
Nominated by: United Telephone Association Inc.

Lauren Kuschel
Nominated by: Valley Telephone Company 

J. Benedict Ackley Scholarship- $2,000 per year for 4 years
(Must be awarded to a student from New York)
Jared Boyles
Nominated by: The Middleburgh Telephone Company

Telecommunications Intern Scholarship- $2,000
Anna Montabana
Nominated by: Millry Telephone Company

FRED General Scholarships- $2,000

Mary Keele
Nominated by: Ketchikan Public Utilities

Elizabeth Senkyr
Nominated by: Minnesota Valley Telephone Company

Desiray Crowe-Boicourt
Nominated by: Otelco, Mid-Missouri Division

Nafiz Sheikh
Nominated by: Plant Telecommunications

Sadie Sondeland
Nominated by: Polar Communications

Ashley Smith
Nominated by: Public Service Telephone Company

FRED General Scholarship- $1,500

Jacqueline Gonzalez
Nominated by: Cordova Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

FRED General Scholarships- $1,000

Amanda Thomas
Nominated by: Ace Communications

Shayla Shaishnikoff
Nominated by: American Broadband (Tel Alaska)

Nathan Bausman
Nominated by: Arvig Enterprises, Inc.

Stephani Gimble
Nominated by: Calaveras Telephone Company

Callie Morris
Nominated by: Canadian Valley Telephone Company

Tyler Lyon                 
Nominated by: Central Oklahoma Telephone Company

Alexis Mitchell
Nominated by: Chazy & Westport Telephone Corp.

Ali Tucker
Nominated by: Clear Creek Mutual Telephone Company

Brookelyn Savoy
Nominated by: Communications 1 Network

Michael Frondorf
Nominated by: Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation

Anlan Cheney
Nominated by: Great Plains Communications Inc.

Montana Bailey
Nominated by: Haviland Telephone Company Inc.

Andrew Kelto
Nominated by: Hiawatha Telephone Company

Megan Gordon
Nominated by: Loretto Telephone Company Inc.

Alissa Tauer
Nominated by: Minnesota Valley Telephone Company

Morgen Irwin
Nominated by: Newport Telephone Company

Andrea Hess
Nominated by: Nortex Communications

Cassie Logie
Nominated by: North Dakota Telephone Company

Karlea Brooks
Nominated by: Panhandle Telephone Cooperative Inc.

Eleanor Pytleski
Nominated by: Pierce Telephone Company Inc.

Jessica Gremel
Nominated by: Pigeon Telephone Company

Bryce White
Nominated by: Pioneer Communications

Sarah Burton
Nominated by: Pottawatomie Telephone Company

Travis Lohse
Nominated by: Ridgeville Telephone Company

Blake Tyler
Nominated by: Ritter Communications, Inc.

Travis Buhl
Nominated by: Shenandoah Telephone Company

Nicole Turner
Nominated by: Silver Star Communications

Magdaline Schutz
Nominated by: Solarus

Kimberlee Burgess
Nominated by: TEC

Jadon Nelson
Nominated by: Three River Telco

Margaret McCracken
Nominated by: Totah Communications, Inc.

Carlyn Olson
Nominated by: Twin Valley Telephone Inc.

Amber Wirkkala
Nominated by: Wahkiakum West Telephone

Bianca Broeckelman
Nominated by: Wilson Telephone Company Inc.

Lexi Platz
Nominated by: Winthrop Telephone Company