OAKHURST – Madison Samora, a Yosemite High School alumni and freshman at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, was selected to receive a $1,000.00 academic scholarship by the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED).
Nominated by Sierra Telephone, the award is based on merit and demonstrated commitment to rural life. Samora is majoring in Architectural Engineering and plans to transfer to Cal Poly.FRED selected 53 students from rural areas throughout the United States who were nominated by rural independent telephone companies and cooperatives. The foundation awarded a total of $75,000 in 2013, which brings the total scholarship amount to $1.2 million.
FRED, a national charitable foundation located in Washington, DC, was founded in 1989. The FRED Scholarship Program, now in its 21st year, is made possible through the generosity of more than 500 small, independent telephone companies operating in rural areas across the United States and Canada.
Cindy Huber from Sierra Telephone wrote a letter of recommendation on behalf of Samora so that her application could be accepted and reviewed.
FRED strives to promote education and development in rural areas. Small telephone companies, including Sierra Telephone, are a valuable asset to their rural communities. Sierra Telephone and FRED are helping to create educational opportunities for rural America’s greatest resource, their younger generations.
“We are thrilled to award this prestigious scholarship to Madison. She was selected among an outstanding group of young people to represent ‘the best of the best’,” said FRED Executive Director, Melissa Korzuch. “FRED aims to assist students with high potential for success and a strong desire to return to a rural community upon graduation. We were overwhelmed by the remarkable credentials of the applicants. Each of this year’s FRED Scholars is very intelligent and exceedingly active in their community. We hope they all will someday return to their hometowns to contribute to the community that clearly gave them an admirable, productive start in life.”
More information about the successful applicants and how to apply for next year’s program is available at www.fred.org. FRED is a charitable 501(c)(3) foundation.
