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Gilbert Marshall Memorial Scholarships To Area Students

CLOVIS – The Gilbert Marshall Memorial Team Branding is held each year to raise money for scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors in the surrounding mountain area, who are pursuing an education in Agriculture and/or Forestry.

The 3rd annual event was held this year on Mar. 7, and raised $8,000 for student scholarships and school program grants. Organizers are happy to announce the following awards:

Students from Minarets High School receiving scholarships –

Minarets 2015 GMMS winners Tanner Lopez, Chloe Ferguson, Tammy Montgomery, Kayla and Cassidy Estabrooke

Minarets 2015 GMMS winners Tanner Lopez, Chloe Ferguson, Tammy Montgomery-GMMS Scholarship Committee Chair, Kayla Cardoza GMMS Logistics Committee Chair, and Cassidy Estabrooke

Tanner Lopez will be attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK, majoring in Animal Science and Communications.

Chloe Ferguson has been accepted to California State University in Fresno, and plans teach after she earns her degree in Ag Education and Equine Science.

Cassidy Estabrooke will also be studying at Cal State Fresno, majoring in Ag Education and High School Science. She plans to become a teacher.

Students from Sierra High School receiving scholarships –

Sierra High 2015 GMMS winners Kelby Cross, Bowen Kehn, David  Dobbs, (name not released) Kayla Cardoza GMMS Logistics Committee Chair, Tammy Montgomery GMMS Scholarship Committee Chair

Sierra High 2015 GMMS winners Kelby Cross, Bowen Kehn, David Dobbs, (name not released) Kayla Cardoza GMMS Logistics Committee Chair, Tammy Montgomery GMMS Scholarship Committee Chair

Bowen Kehn has been accepted at Butte Community College and plans to major in Environmental Science and Agriculture.

Kelby Cross will be studying Ag Business and Communications at Reedley College.

David Dobbs plans to major in Welding in partnership with PG&E at Butte Community College.

Minarets High School received a grant of $1,125 to complete and maintain a well water storage system on the Ag Farm at the school. The project was started by Tanner Lopez as a senior legacy project in an emergency need when the well dried up on the farm.

A grant of the same amount was also awarded to Sierra High School, and was used to purchase materials to repair and replace the perimeter fencing of their Ag Farm and hay field, including posts and wire.

Funding for these awards is made possible through the hard work of those organizing the Gilbert Marshall Memorial Team Branding, which took place this year on Saturday, Mar. 7, at Blasingame Ranch in Clovis. The event is held in memory of an Eastern Fresno-Madera County native, and Sierra High School graduate, Gilbert Marshall.

Gilbert Marshall was the son of Patrick Marshall of Templeton and Dolores “Sister” Topping of O’Neals, California. He grew up on the Topping Ranch located in O’Neals and attended Spring Valley Elementary School where his sons, Cody and Cole would later follow. Gilbert was a graduate of Sierra High School with the Class of 1988.

While in school, Gilbert was an athlete, and a student of agriculture. He was an active outdoorsman, a cattleman, and a logger who made his living running the family herd and logging in the local area mountains.

Gilbert is remembered by friends and family as hard-working, fun-loving and loyal. His work ethic and love of life were shared by all around him. Gilbert lost his life in an accident while working in the very mountains that he loved.

His extensive family and many friends work to preserve his memory and honor his love for a life outdoors by offering a scholarship, available to any graduating seniors in the Sierra Unified and/or Minarets School District pursuing an education and college degree in the fields of Agriculture and/or Forestry. It is the family’s hope that a future can be built that will both preserve and maintain the balance of agriculture and forestry in our local area.

To learn more about the event and the Gilbert Marshall Memorial Scholarship, click here.

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Sierra News Online

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