Scholarship Information
John G. Walters Scholarship
Each year, Polar awards five scholarships in the amount of $500 in honor of Polar’s first General Manager, John G. Walters. To be eligible, the applicant must be a high school senior and their parent or guardian must be a Polar subscriber. The students need to be accepted for entrance to an accredited college or university. This year’s applications were judged by a group from Park River High School, headed up by counselor Kevin Skavhaug.
The recipients are:
Kali Christianson – Cavalier High School
daughter of Trevor and Karen Christianson, Cavalier
Molly Collette – Grafton High School
daughter of Darryl and Vonda Collette, Grafton
Raevyn Pesek – Adams-Edmore High School
daughter of Dale and Geraldine Pesek, Lawton
Elizabeth Pilon – Grafton High School
daughter of Noel and Jill Pilon, Drayton
Ivy Restemayer – North Border-Walhalla High School
daughter of Carla Kartes-Hiller, Mountain
Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED) Scholarship
Sadie Sondeland, a freshman at the University of North Dakota (UND) majoring in Nursing was selected to receive a $1,000 academic scholarship by the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED). Sponsored by Polar Communications, the given award is based on merit and demonstrated commitment to rural life. FRED will send the awarded scholarship to the University of North Dakota on behalf of Sadie Sondeland.
FRED selected 53 students from rural areas throughout the United States, and received more than 200 exceptional applications sponsored by rural independent telephone companies and cooperatives. FRED awarded $75,000 to rural high school students from across America this year.
Youth Tour Information
FRS Youth Tour
The Foundation for Rural Service’s (FRS) annual Youth Tour is one of the most visible examples of the foundation’s involvement with, and commitment to, rural youth. This year marks the 19th annual Youth Tour. Each year, in collaboration with NTCA member companies, FRS brings rural students from across the United States to Washington, DC for a four-day tour of some of the most historical sites in the nation. While there, students also learn about the telecommunications industry, as well as the regulatory and legislative processes. Educational sessions on these topics are greatly enhanced by site visits to the U.S. Capitol and the FCC to meet with industry leaders and members of Congress. The students also are given ample time to explore the Nation’s Capital and its many attractions.
Eligibility requirements: Must be a high school student, age 16 or 17, and their parents must receive service from Polar. Along with submitting the application they are required to write an essay on Telecommunications. Two applications were received for review and were judged by a group from North Dakota Telephone Company.
The 19th annual Youth Tour is being held June 1-5, 2013. We are proud to announce our representative for this year’s trip is Hannah Swartz, Park River High School. Hannah is the daughter of Sherry Currie and Stuart Swartz; and step-daughter of Joan Swartz.