Friday, September 10, 2010 9:44 am

The scholarship winners, front row, from left to right, are Chris Huber, Kristi Oakley, Jessica Smith, and Meagan Ferrell. In the back row, from left, are Zach Freeman, Cody Ellis, Derek Craker, Spencer Williams and Leslie Canter. Not pictured is Michael Huber.

MTEMC’s Customers Care foundation has funded 10 $2,000 scholarships for students across the service area.

The winners this year were: Zach Freeman and Spencer Williams from Williamson County; Kristi Oakley from Cannon County; Leslie Canter, Meagan Ferrell, Christopher and Mike Huber and Derek Craker from Rutherford County; and Jessica Smith and Cody Ellis from Wilson County.

The scholarships are funded through Operation Round Up monies, which are administered by the Customers Care Board.
 
Scholarship participants must be an MTEMC member or a child of a member, and they must use the monies to attend a Tennessee 2- or 4-year accredited college or trade school.

Interested persons must fill out an application and complete a one-page essay stating how the scholarship funds would benefit their personal goals. All essays are judged by a group of volunteer school teachers from the MTEMC service area.
 
“The cooperative’s seven principles include a commitment to education, and we strive to do that by being involved in our school systems,” MTEMC Community Relations Coordinator Cathy Mitchell said. “These scholarships are another way we can add to that effort.”
 
The scholarship applicants are judged on a point system. Persons are graded on a financial needs assessment, current grade point average, involvement in community service, leadership roles and their score on the personal essay. The applicants with the top point totals were awarded the scholarships.

Operation Round Up began in November 2003 and since that time has distributed more than $4 million into the communities Middle Tennessee Electric serves.