Havre Elks Lodge awards scholarships

Press release

Havre Elks Lodge #1201 recently awarded six scholarships to local graduating high school seniors.

Lodge Scholarship Chair Bob Nieuwenhuyse announced that recipients of this year’s local Elks Most Valuable Student Awards were:

• Kenidee Wolery and Shayla Borlaug — North Star High School;

• Rebecca Stroh — Chinook High School;

• Cameron Swarzbach — Big Sandy High School;

• Grant Whitacre and Joshua Warp — Havre High School.

The six local MVS winners were advanced to the Montana State Elks Association competition and out of the 110 statewide applicants, the MSEA reported that Kenidee Wolery of North Star High School earned a state scholarship award.

“We are proud of all our participating high school students and their accomplishments and are pleased that the Elks can award scholarships to those local deserving students who take the time and effort to apply,” Havre Elks Exalted Ruler Matt Kretchmer said.

All of the student applicants are individually judged on scholarship, leadership, community service, honors and awards, employment, financial need and an original essay.

Nieuwenhuyse said the local competition is part of the Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student scholarship program and that scholarship awards at the local, state and national level are all funded by the voluntary contributions of Elks members across the country, with the national awards totaling nearly $2.5 million to 500 deserving students.