Growing a safer Montana awards 20 scholarships

Press release

HELENA — In 2017 State Fund created the Growing a Safer Montana program to support and foster a safer Montana through the next generation of safety leaders.

Historically, Montana ranks among the highest in the nation in workplace accidents and fatalities. GSM aims to improve this standing through two pillars of the program. One pillar is providing personal protective equipment grants provided to Montana high school and middle school trades classes.

The second pillar of GSM provides scholarships for higher education to students entering occupational safety and health/industrial hygiene or trades and industry careers. MSF has announced the 2022 winners of the Growing a Safer Montana Scholarship

Aaniiih Nakoda College in Fort Belknap

Derek Bell, Chinook

Montana Tech

Cara O’Donnell, Billings

Layne Willis, Laurel

McKenna Kaelber, Pasco, Washington

Sadiq Inuwa, Nigeria

Brie Birkenbuel, Butte

City College at Montana State University Billings

Daniel Geiger, Billings

Missoula College of the University of Montana

Adrianna Morgan, Missoula

Kevin Conard, Missoula

Garret Fox, Missoula

Helena College — University of Montana

Jamar West, Helena

Cody Lentz, Helena

Yowel Moffett, Wolf Creek

Christian Pavelka, Helena

Highlands College of Montana Tech, Butte

Casey Hager, Butte

Shawn Douglass, Butte

Great Falls College Montana State University

Chase Tay, Great Falls

Brian Tucker, Browning

Flathead Valley Community College

Tyler Hanson, Columbia Falls

Elizabeth Mathiason, Kalispell

In the five years since its inception, MSF has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to students for higher education and given more than $100,000 in PPE grants to high schools and junior high schools across Montana.