Logan County Sheriff's Office Announces Scholarship Winner

***Press Release***

STERLING, COLORADO -  Logan County Sheriff Brett Powell is pleased to announce that Hannah Yahn is this year’s recipient of the County Sheriffs of Colorado, CSOC, scholarship award for Logan County.

CSOC, Colorado’s state sheriffs’ association, offered a total of 32 awards of $500 each this year to deserving high school and college students in Colorado to fund higher-level educational expenses for the 2013-2014 academic year.  

A citizens’ committee selected the winner for each county.  Committees made their selections based upon criteria established by CSOC, including leadership, merit, character, involvement, purpose and need.  Applicants were required to be full-time, legal Colorado residents who planned to attend a Colorado university, college or trade school.

This is the 34^th year for the CSOC scholarship program.  Monies for the program are derived, in part, from the CSOC honorary membership fund, which consists of contributions from individual citizens and businesses each year.

For citizens or businesses interested in providing continued support for this excellent program, please contact the County Sheriffs of Colorado at (720) 334-2763 or visit www.CSOC.org.

County Sheriffs of Colorado Announces Scholarship

***Press Release***

Sterling, Colorado – Sheriff Powell announced today that County Sheriffs of Colorado, Inc. (CSOC), the state Sheriffs Association, will award a $500 scholarship to a deserving County student next spring.  CSOC established the scholarship program in 1978.  Since then, this effort has continued as a meaningful expression of the sheriffs’ confidence in and respect for education and training.  CSOC considers this an investment in the future and believes that our membership is helping to provide deserving students with an opportunity to make a positive contribution to society.

Scholarship announcements have been mailed to all high school offices in the eligible counties and to all Colorado higher education institutions.  Applications are available online at www.csoc.org, or at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, which is located at 110 Riverview Road, in Sterling.

Sheriff Powell explained that this is the 34^th year that County Sheriffs of Colorado has made such scholarships available.  A scholarship will be awarded in more than thirty Colorado counties this year.  Applications will be reviewed by a local citizens committee appointed by Sheriff Powell, and a selection will be made on the basis of criteria established by CSOC.  This criterion includes leadership, merit, character, involvement and career purpose. 

Any legal permanent resident of Logan County enrolled in, or applying to, a vocational training program or institution of higher learning in the State of Colorado as a full or part-time student is eligible to apply.  There are no restrictions as to the course of study or training which may be pursued, and no restrictions are placed upon applications by reason of race, creed, age, sex or national origin.

For more information, contact your local high school, college, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office or County Sheriffs of Colorado.

NJC announces Spring Beginnings Scholarship

***Press Release***

Limited number of housing awards available this January

Northeastern Junior College is announcing the re-establishment of its Spring Beginnings Scholarship program this coming January. This program has been offered in the past as an incentive for students to enroll mid-year. Only a limited number of these $1,000 housing awards will be offered. Deadline for application is January 4, 2013. Spring semester begins January 22^nd.

Spring Beginnings is designed for students who may be graduating mid-year from high school and want to advance on to college in January. It is also available to traditional age students who chose not to begin college last fall and have now decided they want to move on with their education. Local students who are enrolling in college for the first time and want to live on campus instead of at home are especially encouraged to apply. It is also available to students who may have started at a university elsewhere in the fall and have decided, for whatever reason, they would like to downsize to a smaller, less expensive college. The scholarship helps cover the cost of a room on campus.

Anyone interested in applying for a Spring Beginnings Scholarship should apply for admission, submit a high school (or college) transcript, and complete the necessary application by January 4, 2013. The student must be a new student to NJC planning to enroll in the spring term for at least 12 credits and live in a residence hall.  The application is available online at www.njc.edu/spring

This scholarship has not been made available for several years now as the college dorms have been full to capacity going into spring semester.  The residence life program anticipates having some open rooms this spring.

If you have questions, contact the office of recruitment at 521-6652 or the housing office at 521-6655. 

NJC’s Reno awarded Jake Clifton Scholarship

***Press Release***

Denver pitcher gets first ever memorial award

During its year-end athletic awards night, Northeastern Junior College recognized a number of athletes for their exceptional performance this past year in men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s softball and men’s baseball. Among the awards presented was the Jake Clifton Scholarship Award.

Jake Clifton was a left handed pitcher who was a stand-out at Pueblo County High School. He had signed and planned to play baseball at Northeastern beginning the fall of 2011.  However, just weeks before he was to begin his college playing career, he tragically drowned.  Not only was this a huge loss to his family, but it was equally devastating for NJC.  Jake had significant potential to make his mark in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I, Region IX. In addition to being a talented pitcher, he was a student of high character, knew how to work hard and showed a  toughness both on and off the field.  In his honor, members of the NJC team wore his initials on their caps and dedicated their season to him. It was a pretty good season, ending one loss away from a trip to the national tournament.

In Jake’s  memory, his family established a scholarship at the college in his name. It will be awarded annually to a returning sophomore player that exhibits Jake’s  same characteristics.  The recipient of this inaugural memorial scholarship is Ryan Reno, a left-handed pitcher from Denver, CO.   Reno is studying firefighting at Northeastern.

Another significant scholarship in Jake’s name is being awarded each year in Pueblo through an Evolution Baseball program which operates in that part of the state for players ages 8-18. Bob Norris of T-Cross Ranch of Colorado Springs,  a friend of the family, established The Jake Clifton T Cross Memorial Scholarship shortly after the player’s death. Jake Clifton had attended Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs for two years before his family moved to Pueblo. He had been a very accomplished athlete in Colorado Springs  and had played baseball, basketball and football for Pueblo County High School as a junior and senior.

Justin Covelli Scholarship to benefit ag students

***NJC Press Release***


First award to be made this fall

By Barbara Baker

In the quiet of winter, as Mother Earth rests and rejuvenates, awaiting the renewal that will come with spring, the family of Justin Covelli has been at work establishing a scholarship program in his name. You may recall that the eighth annual Feeders and Friends event held this past August in New Raymer, CO was a benefit for the Justin Covelli Memorial Scholarship Fund to be managed by Northeastern Junior College to provide scholarships for future agriculture students. The event raised $37,500.

Just as each spring brings a sense of renewal, from now on, each fall the Covelli family will know that another young person is benefitting from the generosity of many who came together to honor the life of their loved one.

Covelli, 37, of Weldona, passed away in January 2011 from complications during surgery. He had been battling lung cancer. He left behind his wife of four years, Melissa and two young sons, Aiden and Mason. The son of Barry and Michelle Covelli of Weldona, Justin loved farming with his father, uncle and grandfather as he grew up. He loved playing basketball and watching basketball, especially the Duke Blue Devils. He graduated from Weldon Valley High School in 1991 and from the University of Northern Colorado in 1995 with a degree in business management. In 2007 he married Melissa. In the few years that followed, the coupled had two sons. “He was an outstanding husband and father and enjoyed every minute with his family,” says his mother Michelle. “He was a quiet and humble man and he was a great friend to many. He had a contagious laugh. He was always well-liked and respected by friends and coworkers.” At the time of his death he was working as the manager and an agronomist for CHS, Inc. at the cooperative’s Wiggins center.

The Justin Covelli Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to one student each fall semester, beginning in August 2012. The recipient will receive $1,000. While the scholarship is directed to incoming freshman students at Northeastern, priority will be given to students from Morgan County. However, if there are no eligible applicants from Morgan County, the scholarship may be awarded to students from Logan or Weld counties. Preference will be given to those majoring in agriculture business. Students receiving this scholarship must have at least a 3.0 or higher grade point average while in high school.

According to Cindy Johnson, executive director of the Northeastern Junior College Foundation, the scholarship will be awarded annually based on these parameters, utilizing the Foundation’s selection process. “This is a wonderful scholarship which honors the memory of a beloved son, father and husband,” Johnson said. “The Foundation will manage it with care and respect according to the wishes of Justin’s family.” Young agriculture students will benefit from this gift for years to come, she added.

Held annually since 2003, the Feeders and Friends event, which is supported by many volunteers and donors, consists of a ranch rodeo, Calcutta, large auction, and dance. It is an event that brings those from the ranches where the cattle are raised and the livestock feeding industry, including various vendors such as the pharmaceutical companies, together with other supporters, to enjoy a day of fellowship, friendly competition and fundraising for a specific cause.

Proceeds from the Feeders and Friends event have been used to memorialize or benefit young people from the New Raymer community. Memorials have been established in honor of Lacy Miller (2003), Andi Whitlock (2004), Kasey Jo (Walker) Warner (2008), Jesse Samber (2009), and Justin Covelli (2011). The families of Andi Whitlock, Kasey Jo Walker Werner and Justin Covelli have chosen to direct their memorial funds to establish scholarships at NJC. Feeders and Friends have also supported community members facing catastrophic life circumstances – Shane Ellis (2005), Britt Trumbull (2006), Jed Michal (2007), and Austin Beckner (2010). All in all, the group has raised nearly $300,000 in the past eight years.

Spring is, indeed, a time of renewal, rebirth and regrowth. Through the generosity of Feeders and Friends, these gifts of spring have been extended to community members – to transform hardship and loss into caring support and hope. Such is the blessing of life in rural Colorado.