A bright future: CAL awards nearly $40k in scholarships to area students

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

The Community Assistance League, a local nonprofit organization which provides annual financial grants and scholarships to worthy individuals and organizations, awarded $39,400 in scholarships to 29 high school students on Wednesday.

Eight of the 29 students met at the Sandpoint Center inside Columbia Bank to share their future plans, as well as receive their scholarships.

Ron Korn, a graduating senior from Sandpoint High School, plans to attend University of Idaho in the fall and will major in mechanical engineering, with a minor in math and computer sciences.

“This scholarship provides a financial base so I can afford to go to school without taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans and end up in debt,” Korn said. “I want to graduate with as little debt as possible.”

Recent SHS grad Payton Finney also plans to attend University of Idaho in the fall.

“I want to study virtual technology and design,” Finney said. “I want to get into an animation or virtual reality career. It’s growing really fast.”

Kaytlyn Wooden, also from SHS, plans to attend North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene after the summer.

“I want to get an associate’s degree in construction and construction management,” she said.

“The scholarship funds come from sales from our store Bizarre Bazaar,” said Linda Melia, the incoming chairperson for the CAL Scholarship Committee.

Outgoing chair for the Scholarship Committee Sherry Ennis said this year’s decision was a difficult one.

“Choosing the most outstanding students out of so many outstanding students was a difficult task,” wrote Ennis. 

Here is a full list of 2018 CAL Scholarship recipients:

Sandpoint High School
Brianna Baldree, Saydee Brass, Ciena Christensen, Garrett Connolly, Rebecca Coop, Payton Finney, Shelby Flathers, Lily Hartman, Samuel Hendricks, Taylor Hill, Hannah Hurst, Abigail Johnson, August Johnson, Ron Korn, Ellie McCray, Rachel Meyer, Soncirey Mitchell, Garrett Pierce, Cienna Roget, Emily Shveyda, Maclain Stultz and Kaytlyn Wooden.

Clark Fork High School
Bryant Moore

Priest River High School
Randolph Stuart, Kalyee Taylor.

Forrest Bird Charter School
Carissa Lonzisero

Home Schooled
Jessica Klein

Renewing Scholars
Corinne Ariss, Rachel Osborne.

For more info, check out calsandpoint.org.