2 students named Boettcher scholars
The hard work of three Merino High School seniors is paying off as they were awarded prestigious scholarships to fund their continued education.
Kaden Piel and Jaxson Samber were selected as Boettcher Scholarship recipients.
Boettcher Scholarships recognize Colorado’s top students by providing them with the funds to attain an excellent in-state education and access to additional opportunities to enrich their time in college and beyond. Boettcher Scholars become part of a network of alumni and community leaders who will support and engage them throughout their lifetime.
“Boettcher Scholars are selected for their academic achievement, outstanding character, and service and leadership in their schools and communities,” said Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation. “The Boettcher Scholarship is an investment in our state’s doers and difference makers. It not only recognizes their past achievements but also their future impact on the State of Colorado.”
Established in 1952, the Boettcher Scholarship program awards 50 scholarships each year and has established a network of more than 2,800 Boettcher Scholars. Nearly 2,000 graduating high school seniors apply for the scholarship annually.
The scholarship that Piel and Samber have been awarded includes $20,000 per year for four years from the Boettcher Foundation. Partner institutions will then use institutional aid to support up to either the cost of tuition and fees, or the full cost of attendance to attend the Colorado school of their choice.
“The Boettcher Foundation’s scholarship selection is competitive and rigorous,” said Tiffany Anderson, vice president of grants and programs. “Kaden and Jaxson really stood out with their commitment both in and out of the classroom. We’re proud to have Kaden and Jaxson representing the Boettcher community, and we look forward to seeing how their future leadership positively impacts the State of Colorado.”
Piel will be attending the University of Colorado at Boulder and Samber is headed to the South Dakota School of Mines Technology.
Samber was also selected as part of the 2024 Class of Daniels Scholars. As a Daniels Scholar, your full cost of attendance is covered at partner schools within Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Those who attend a school outside the four-state region can receive up to $25,000 a year for qualified educational expenses.
Funds can be used towards tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and miscellaneous educational expenses
Students will also receive a laptop computer and receive support before, during, and after college.
Additionally, Makenna Sutter was named a Hastings College Scott Scholars recipient. The Scott Scholars program is designed to help develop the next generation of leaders for Nebraska and beyond. The program targets highachieving students pursuing studies in science and business related disciplines who are passionate about exploring their development and potential inside and outside of the classroom.
The program, funded by the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation, allows seven incoming students each year to receive a renewable scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition, fees and room and board — plus $2,000 in annual educational and experiential enrichment funding.