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Eighteen high school graduates from across Southside Electric Cooperative’s service area earned college scholarships awarded by the Southside Opportunity Fund.

“These students have worked hard and shown diligence both in and out of the classroom, and the Southside Opportunity Fund board was pleased to be able to make these awards,” Lloyd Lenhart, SEC’s director of community relations, said. “We wish the students the very best as they continue their education in pursuit of their dreams.”

The Southside Opportunity Fund Board of Directors reviewed the nearly 30 scholarship applications and made its selections in early July. Graduates, who represented 11 counties served by SEC, received scholarships of either $2,000 or $1,000.

Selected for $1,000 scholarships from the Farmville area were Jordan Smith and Caroline Seal from Cumberland High School and Abbie Schmidt from Fuqua School.

The Southside Opportunity Fund board also made its annual $3,000 donation to Southside Virginia Community College’s Power Line Worker Training School for student scholarships.

To be eligible for scholarships in 2020, graduates’ parents or guardians must be SEC members, and applicants had to receive a high school diploma or GED by this fall and must be planning to enter their first semester of college or trade/technical school this fall.

Scholarships are funded by proceeds from the annual Southside Opportunity Fund Golf Classic and Southside Opportunity Fund Skeet and Trap Classic, along with Hooper Park rentals and other donations. The scholarships are an integral part of SEC’s community outreach. In five years, 89 scholarships totaling nearly $100,000 have been provided for young people heading to college, plus $15,000 has been donated for future lineworkers going to the Power Line Worker Training School.

Information about applying for scholarships next year will be available in the early part of 2021 at www.sof.coop and from guidance counselors at high schools in SEC’s service territory.