Operation Round Up Scholarship Recipients

June 8, 2011

The Operation Round Up Board of Directors selected 24 recipients from more than 70 applications for scholarships. All 10 Directors complete a score sheet for each application; the scores are then totaled and averaged. The scores are always taken out to decimal points to sort the applications because they are always so close. The Board would love to award 70 scholarships every year, but more member support of the program is needed first.

We'd like to introduce you to our 2011-2012 recipients.

Alaina Alexander
Alaina Alexander graduated 3rd in her class at Smyer High School where the top five are extremely academically competitive. She will attend either South Plains College or West Texas A&M to major in nursing. Alaina also wants to continue her education to become a nurse practitioner. Her parents are Lisa and Reece Northcutt.

David Arthur
David Arthur graduated from Ralls High School as valedictorian. He will attend either West Texas A&M or Texas A&M to study mechanical engineering. David says engineering is a perfect fit to his inquisitive and design hungry mind. The degree emphasizes how mechanical parts work. His parents are Angela and Lloyd.

Reece Brazil
Reece Brazil graduated from Smyer High School near the top of his class. He will attend either South Plains College or Texas Tech to earn a degree in exercise sports sciences. Reece eventually wants to become an athletic trainer at a university. His counselor wrote, “Reece is responsible and excels in academics and track.” His father is Jeff.

Austin Carder
Austin Carder ranked 5th in a class of 409 students at Frenship High School. He will attend Yale University to study linguistics or environmental studies. Austin is fascinated by language which began with Latin and psychology. He wants to conduct research, teach at a university level and eventually pursue a Ph.D. His parents are Tanya and Mark.

Levi Fikes
Levi Fikes graduated from Smyer High School and will attend either Texas Tech or Wayland Baptist for a degree in broadcast journalism. He has worked four part-time jobs during his senior year to help pay the bills at home. With a college education, Levi will be able to take care of his mother’s financial needs. His mother is Donna Marcy.

Whitney Ford
Whitney Ford graduated 5th at Abernathy High School. She plans to attend either Louisiana Tech University or Texas Tech to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. She’ll then head to law school because Whitney aspires to be an attorney and own her own practice. Her parents are Kim and Gregg.

Lauren Fritz
Lauren Fritz graduated 7th at Shallowater High School. She will attend West Texas A&M for a degree in music education. Lauren wants to be a music teacher which means learning all the instruments, including voice, piano and strings. She’d also like to be a member of a local symphony as a side job. Her parents are Angela and Nathan.

Brady Gorman
Brady Gorman graduated near the top at Monterey High School. He will attend Texas Tech to study electronic media and visual communications on his way to a career in filmmaking. Brady aspires to work with Pixar Animation. His counselor wrote, “Brady is extremely creative, both artistically and musically.” His parents are Breck and Brett.

Kaylee Holloway
Kaylee Holloway graduated as valedictorian from Guthrie High School. She will attend Texas Tech to major in mathematics and education. Kaylee wants to be a high school math teacher, ideally in a small school where she could eventually be the cheer coach or play director. Her parents are Connie DeCristo and Karl Holloway.

Melanie Jackson
Melanie Jackson graduated valedictorian from New Deal High School. She will pursue a degree at Texas A&M in landscape architecture. After Melanie becomes a landscape architect, she will integrate environmental conservation into her career. Her counselor wrote, “She is an exceptional young lady.” Her parents are Tanya and Sam.

Lauren Jones
Lauren Jones graduated from Shallowater High School ranked 4th in her class. She will attend Texas A&M to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Lauren realizes becoming a nurse is no easy task; that she’ll have to work hard to maintain good grades. Her parents are Areace Mason and David Jones.

Taylor Kirk
Taylor Kirk graduated from Idalou High School and will attend Texas A&M to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. His career goals include working with Boeing and being based in a foreign country. Learning a new culture, while doing what he loves, is what all of Taylor’s goals lead to. His parents are Martha and Terry.

Kelby Koelder
Kelby Koelder graduated from Cotton Center High School with 18 hours of college credit. She will attend West Texas A&M to major in ag communications. She’ll earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree before working in the area of farm management or rural development. Her parents are Marilyn and Gary.

Maecee McClenney
Maecee McClenney graduated from Abernathy High School. She will attend South Plains College and then Texas Tech to major in agricultural communications. Maecee is a very good public speaker and plans to be involved in either journalism or broadcasting after graduating. She’d also enjoy a marketing job. Her parents are Tammy and Billy.

Lana McNeill
Lana McNeill graduated from Guthrie High School as salutatorian. She will attend South Plains College to enter the medical field and become a physical therapist. She’ll then transfer to Texas Tech. Her interest in sports leads her to working with athletes and sport rehab with young people with injuries. Her parents are Jamie and Kelly.

Shane Metzler
Shane Metzler graduated from Frenship High School as salutatorian. He will attend Texas Tech to study chemical engineering, but ultimately wants to attend medical school to become a physician. He enjoyed volunteering at UMC. His counselor wrote: “Excellent student and very solid young man.” His parents are Heidi and Mike.

Brianna Neighbors
Brianna Neighbors graduated from Frenship High School ranked 4th in her class. She will attend Texas Tech to study physical therapy or forensic psychology. The Pom Squad taught her how to manage a busy schedule. She learned the lack of preparation not only hurts ones-self, but it affects those around us. Her mother is Janice.

Caitlyn Parks
Caitlyn Parks graduated from Shallowater High School ranked 5th and will attend either West Texas A&M or Lubbock Christian to major in exercise science. She’ll continue her education to earn a degree as a physical therapist. Caitlyn’s involvement in the Boys Ranch Christmas Project is very important. Her parents are Julie and Mike.

Kelsey Seigman
Kelsey Seigman graduated from Smyer High School as valedictorian. She will attend either West Texas A&M or Texas Tech to achieve a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine and then continue on for a graduate degree in medicine. Ultimately, she wants to open a clinic in a rural area in the Panhandle. Her parents are Kim and Ron.

Tiffani Sexton
Tiffani Sexton graduated from Cotton Center High School. She will attend West Texas A&M to study agricultural business, eventually earning her doctorate. Seeing the struggles farmers face daily, she would like to be a voice for their rights. FFA has been Tiffani’s most important involvement. Her parents are Stephanie and Aaron Kirby.

Shane Statham
Shane Statham graduated from Childress High School as salutatorian. He wants to attend Midwestern State University for a degree in nursing. His ultimate goal is to become a youth minister and believes these two interests match perfectly. He’ll use the nursing skills to volunteer in medical missions. His parents are Donna and David.

Austin Stith
Austin Stith graduated from Smyer High School as salutatorian. He will attend Texas Tech to study biology. That’s his first goal. The second goal is to attend medical school to be a pediatrician or an oncologist. The third goal is to own a clinic for the underprivileged children in rural communities. His mother is Christy.
Joel Templeton graduated from Cotton Center High School as valedictorian. He’ll attend Hardin-Simmons University to pursue a career in the field of ministry. He’s being interviewed for the Hardin-Simmons Honors Program. If accepted, Joel says it will help guide him in determining his major. His parents are Kimberly and John.

Andrew West
Andrew West graduated from Lubbock-Cooper High School as valedictorian. He plans to attend either Texas Tech or the University of North Texas to pursue his career in medicine. Andrew is interested in a vocation where he can interact with others to improve lives through medical means. His parents are Amy and Andrew.

The following seven recipients received scholarships from the Operation Round Up Employee-fund, supported by the employees of South Plains Electric Cooperative.

Zachary Ancell
Zachary Ancell graduated from Coronado High School and will attend either South Plains College or Texas Tech with the goal of attending fire academy. Wildfire management and forestry are Zach’s idea of an ideal major. He’ll also add a minor in political science. His parents are Sarah and Dale.

Johnny Frausto
Johnny Frausto is completing his first year at South Plains College. He is proud of his involvement in the National Honor Society. It paved the way for his success. Johnny’s academic awards were the most important to him because academics make you successful. His parents are Rosemary and Ralph.

Oscar Frausto
Oscar Frausto graduated from Spur High School. He will attend either Angelo State or West Texas A&M to earn a teaching degree in mathematics. Oscar also wants to be a golf coach. He was a four-time golf team MVP and received the Math Models Mathematics Award. His parents are Rosemary and Ralph.

Kaitlyn Harris
Kaitlyn Harris graduated from Spur High School. She will attend Western Texas College to major in business with an emphasis in marketing. Kaitlyn enjoyed her FFA and 4-H livestock show projects. She loves caring for the animals, traveling to shows and meeting new people. Her parents are Melva and Lance.

Cody Nelson
Cody Nelson graduated from Lubbock-Cooper High School. He will start out at South Plains College earning a degree in pre-physical therapy. He’ll transfer to West Texas A&M for a degree in exercise and sports sciences and will then enroll in physical therapy school. His parents are Penny and Russell.

Nikki Timmins
Nikki Timmins admits her worst mistake was quitting school and rushing into the workplace without adequate education. She is a single parent and wants to provide better opportunities for her family. Nikki will attend South Plains College to study computer information systems. Her mother is Debbie Traylor.

Clay Washington
Clay Washington graduated from Childress High School with 20 hours of college credits that can be applied to his public relations degree at Texas Tech. His counselor wrote: “Clay is conscientious and capable. His has a great work ethic and leadership abilities.” His mother is Stachia.

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