Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives is pleased to announce the winners of its three scholarships: The Children of Members Scholarship, Children of Employees and Trustees Scholarship, and Trade School Scholarship. The students interviewed in this year’s contests were outstanding and deserve congratulations on their accomplishments both personally and academically!
Children of Members Scholarship Winners
Students from member households representing each of the Ohio-based electric distribution cooperatives competed for $56,100 in scholarships. A panel of independent judges reviewed applications and conducted virtual interviews with the students to determine the top 10 scholarship winners. All 24 statewide finalists competed in local scholarship competitions prior to advancing to the OEC competition.
The top 10 scholarship winners were:
- First place ($4,600): Hank Walters, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative
- Second place ($3,600): Haley McNaull, Firelands Electric Cooperative
- Third place ($3,100): Brogan Michael Weston, Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative
- Fourth place ($2,900): Winnie Bodin, Logan County Electric Cooperative
- Fifth place ($2,800): Katelyn Libertoweski, Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative
- Sixth place ($2,700): Paige Gerhret, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative
- Seventh place ($2,600): Keanu Valdez, South Central Power Company
- Eighth place ($2,500): Parker Andrews, Frontier Power Company
- Ninth place ($2,400): Colin Tolle, Adams Rural Electric Cooperative
- Tenth place ($2,300): Hunter Allison, Carroll Electric Cooperative
The following students each received honorable mention and $1,900 scholarships (listed in no specific order):
- Anne Twaddle, URE
- Katherine Pollard, Consolidated Cooperative
- Graham Smith, The Energy Cooperative
- Faith Saxton, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative
- James Taylor, Pioneer Electric Cooperative
- Logan Snavely, North Central Electric Cooperative
- Lillith Dreibelbis, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative
- Riely Suchland, Midwest Electric
- Saide Abbitt, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative
- Kaylie McCutcheon, Washington Electric Cooperative
- Avery Ruhe, Paulding Putnam
- Abigail Shuherk, North Western Electric Cooperative
- Bailey Fuller, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative
- Kenna Rosengarten, Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative
Children of Employees and Trustees Scholarship Winners
Twenty-one students competed for up to $47,500 in scholarship funds available through the 2026 Children of Employees and Trustees Scholarship, formerly known as the Louise Freeland and OLSA Scholarships. This scholarship is available only to children and legal wards of an Ohio electric cooperative employee or trustee, or a child of an employee of Buckeye Power, Inc., Ohio’s Rural Electric Cooperatives, or the Cardinal Power Plant.
The top 12 scholarship winners were:
- First place ($3,400): Ashley Roach, Logan County Electric Cooperative
- First place ($3,400): Isabella Lucha, Firelands Electric Cooperative
- First place ($3,400): Madyson Christman, South Central Power Company
- First place ($3,400): Abigail Baker, Guernsey-Muskingum Electric Cooperative
- Second place ($3,000): Rory Burch, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives
- Second place ($3,000): Pailee Wilson, Firelands Electric Cooperative
- Second place ($3,000): Maisie Barr, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives
- Second place ($3,000): Mason Markonich, Cardinal Power Plant
- Third place ($2,500): Paiton Shepherd, Firelands Electric Cooperative
- Third place ($2,500): Kate Johnson, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative
- Third place ($2,500): Carleigh Lynch, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative
- Third place ($2,500): Daniel Newsome, Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative
The following students each received honorable mention and $1,000 scholarships (listed in no specific order):
- Emilee Loescher, Firelands Electric Cooperative
- Madison Hoffman, Carroll Electric Cooperative
- Anna Shah, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives
- Cady Donaldson, Midwest Electric
- Gracie Abrams, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative
- Miranda Snyder, Carroll Electric Cooperative
- Titus Kelly, Logan County Electric Cooperative
- Caden J McGrath, Cardinal Power Plant
- Kaci Shaffer, Consolidated Cooperative
Trade School Scholarship Winners
Ohio cooperative members and their children who are pursuing further education at a technical or trade school competed for up to $4,000 offered through OEC’s 2026 Trade School Scholarship.
The seven scholarship winners were:
- $1,000: Alex Horstman, Paulding Putnam
- $1,000: Coleman Granatir, Carroll Electric Cooperative
- $1,000: Charlie Cooper, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative
- $1,000: Sam McClay, Pioneer Electric Cooperative
- $1,000: Sadie Van Gorden, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative
- $750: Ella Vondenhuevel, Pioneer Electric Cooperative
- $750: Patrick Ryan, Firelands Electric Cooperative
