Local students receive scholarships from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives

Sadie Abbitt was awarded a $1,900 scholarship from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, our statewide service organization, in April. She competed for this scholarship along with 24 students representing each of Ohio’s electric cooperatives.

Sadie is the daughter of Jason and Robbyn Abbitt and is the recipient of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s Michael L. Sims Scholarship. A senior at Talawanda High School, Sadie will attend Miami University to major in chemical engineering and environmental sciences after graduation. Her favorite extracurricular activity in high school was marching band. After college, she would like to do field research in water treatment.

Sadie Van Gorden was awarded a $1,000 trade school scholarship from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives. Sadie is the daughter of Amanda and Zack Van Gorden. She graduated from Talawanda High School and will attend a trade school after graduation to become a welder. Sadie’s favorite extracurricular activities in high school were FFA and track. Sadie is the recipient of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s $1,500 Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship, which is awarded to a high school senior who is attending a technical college or trade school after graduation.

Sadie was selected based on academic achievement, a GPA requirement, a strong recommendation, and essays outlining career goals and knowledge of the cooperative business model. This scholarship supports electric cooperative members and their dependents as they pursue certificates in accredited trade and technical programs, helping meet the growing demand for skilled workers across Ohio.

Gracie Abrams was awarded a $1,000 scholarship through Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives’ Children of Employees and Trustees scholarship competition. The funding for this scholarship comes from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives and the Ohio Line Supervisors Association, awarding a total of $44,600 to 21 high school seniors across the state.

Gracie is the daughter of Christy and Steve Abrams and is a senior at Talawanda High School. She qualified for the scholarship because Steve is a lineworker at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. Students from electric cooperative communities across Ohio competed in the program, with finalists evaluated on academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement.

OLSA is a statewide organization of operations managers and supervisors from rural electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia, focused on professional development, knowledge sharing, and strengthening cooperation among electric utilities.