You might not realize that your organization invests significant scholarship funds toward worthy students, a process started many years ago. In 2009 your Board of Directors decided to direct a portion of our contributions to students showing special interest in local history. The new program, open to any local public high school and Shasta College student, requires each applicant to submit an original researched article about Shasta County history suitable for publication in the Covered Wagon.
Last year’s Covered Wagon featured the first two winners, Holly Dethero, from West Valley High School, and Thelma Schneider, from Fall River High School. Both young ladies wrote about the local timber industry and their family’s role in that industry.
For the second year in a row both scholarship winners are female and high school students. Ms. Grace Boyle is from Cottonwood and attends West Valley High School. She has deep roots in Shasta County, on both her mother’s and father’s side of the family. On her mother’s side of the family her grandfather was Edward Petersen, local historian, author, and Shasta College counselor. On the father’s side, her great-great grandfather, Roy Wilsey, was a County Supervisor in the 1950s and the creator and operator of “Kiddieland”. Grace’s research topic was Mr. Wilsey and Kiddieland. Many of you that grew up in the Redding area might have very fond memories of this park.
Grace plans to attend Shasta College this coming year and major in education or speech therapy.
The second scholarship winner is Ms. Rachel Yelverton. Rachel will be graduating from Shasta High School and plans to attend the University of Nevada. She is very interested in politics and will eventually attend law school. Rachel has shown at an early age the aptitude for work, as she has been a waitress at a local eatery for two years already!
Rachel’s research and article pertains to Rotary International, including the development of the local clubs. Her article describes the role of many local personalities in the organization, many of whom you are all likely to know.
The Board of Directors hope that you will enjoy these young ladies’ efforts, along with the other articles to be presented in this year’s Covered Wagon. It is important to realize that there is a new generation of young people in our community with a developing interest in local history.
Mike Grifantini
Nola Shoup
Scholarship Committee