BEATRICE – Graduating seniors of Beatrice High School were honored with various scholarship awards Sunday, through the Beatrice Educational Foundation.


"Our foundation currently manages over $2.5 million. Thanks to the efficiency of our finance committee, we are able to do a number of things, and this year we are awarding over $94,000 in scholarships to our students, which is exciting. I can't wait until we can say we are giving over one-hundred thousand....wouldn't that be a major task"?


Kay McKinzie of the foundation emceed the organization’s annual scholarship and Hall of Fame ceremony, held at the high school commons area. Scholarships to the students were made possible by donations from area families through the foundation.

BPS Superintendent Jason Alexander said the afternoon was about recognizing the work of students in the classroom, in competition and in the community.


"A heartfelt thank you to the Beatrice Educational Foundation for their support of our students. This afternoon is about recognizing some of our hardest working kids in our district. There's a lot of them. They work hard in the classroom, on the field of competition, and they work hard at jobs after those two things are over. They go home and they get up and do it again, the next day."


Alexander said the contributions to scholarships made by the families represent an investment in young people.  The B-E-F is marking 35 years…with one of the group’s founding members, Mickey Gleason, among those attending the Sunday event.


Two scholarships valued at $7,000 each…the Francis Fellwock Reed Scholarships….went to seniors Jaiden Coudeyras and Lauren Pieper.

Five seniors earned Fred and Virginia Vette Scholarships, valued at $6,000 each. They are Devon Busboom, Drew Gleason, Jaidyn Vanschoiack, Tagg Deboer and Cassie Janzen.  The Robert Taylor Scholarship, valued at $5,000, was awarded to Kaylynn Jeardoe.


Two eighth grade leadership scholarships, awarded when the student reaches graduation, were presented to Connor Hamilton and Avery Gaertig.