Lyons Community Foundation Awards $7,500 to 6 local high school graduates

The Lyons Community Foundation (LCF) is proud to support the young people of Lyons as they continue their journeys into higher education. Scholarships such as those endowed by generous families in our community act to give students some well deserved support to undertake the many challenges of going to college and beginning their careers. Scholarships are also excellent indicators of the hard work and dedication to future success that these young people have displayed. LCF began offering scholarships to Lyons area graduating seniors in 2009 with a single $500 scholarship. This year, the LCF awarded $7500 in scholarships to six Lyons area graduating seniors. To date, $72,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded to 70 college bound students. 
 The LCF Scholarship Review Committee is composed of local residents committed to supporting our young people with their goals. To that end, they reviewed, in detail, all student applications and met to discuss and confirm the award recipients. Families who contribute to individual scholarships also provided their input on the selection of scholarship recipients. We look forward to continuing and hopefully expanding our support of local graduating students through future scholarships. If you are interested in creating a scholarship in memory of someone, please visit our website at https://www.lyonscf.org/how-to-create-a-scholarship or email LCF at [email protected].
Each of these outstanding young people have distinct voices and unique stories to tell.  The Scholarship Review Committee members are certain that their journeys and achievements will touch many lives and bring much happiness. We were impressed by the high standards and achievements of all of the applicants for scholarships. The Lyons Community Foundation exists to improve the quality of life, build a culture of giving, and encourage positive change for the Greater Lyons Area.  The attributes of the LCF mission statement can be found in all the recipients for this year’s scholarships. This speaks highly of the dedication and hard work of not only these students and their parents but all the teachers and staff along the way.

Established in 2020, the Lyons Community Foundation Mission Scholarship recognizes students who embody the LCF's mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encouraging positive change for the greater Lyons area. The 2022 Lyons Community Foundation Mission Scholarship was awarded to Kasey Knapp (Lyons HS). Kasey will be attending Oregon State University where she will major in Psychology. 
Established in 2009, the Lyons Community Foundation Scholarship in Memory of Steve Ralston honors Lyons resident and business owner Steve Ralston and is awarded to a student who best expresses their passion for learning and sharing one’s interests, skills, and joyful life experiences with their community. Cassidy Jennings Batts (Lyons HS) is the 2022 recipient. She will be studying Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. 
Established in 2014, the Gerald Boland Memorial Scholarship recognizes a student who demonstrates a passion for learning and for their community. Gerald Boland died during the September 2013 flood near his home in Lyons. He taught in Lyons for 31 years, 5 years at the high school and 26 years at the elementary school.  He served as a mentor to many of Lyons youth as a basketball coach for 23 years and as a Boy Scout Leader. His dedication to the Lyons community was just as unwavering as his dedication to education. Arjen Wynja (Lyons HS), recipient of the 2022 Gerald Boland Memorial Scholarship, will be majoring in Music Education at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
Established in 2016, the Uncle Louis “Bud” Winkler Memorial Scholarship was made possible by an endowment from a local Lyons resident to honor the memory of his Uncle Louis who helped put him through college.  The 2022 recipient of the Uncle Louis “Bud” Winkler Scholarship is Gage Basey (Lyons HS). Gage has enrolled in the Honors program in the Leads School of Business with an emphasis in entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Established in 2018, the Janet Orback Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of lifelong Lyons resident Janet Orback, who along with her husband Dave, tirelessly helped to provide support and friendship to her neighbors whose homes and lives were destroyed in the 2013 floods, as well as being stewards of the Lyons Cemetery for over 15 years. Recipients of the Janet Orback Memorial Scholarship are active participants in the community, and show a commitment to caring for the environment. The 2022 recipient is Gylian Hay. She will be majoring in International Affairs at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. 
Established in 2020, the Lyons Community Foundation 2-Year Study Scholarship was made possible by a donor-advised fund from a local Lyons couple. This scholarship recognizes any graduating senior who plans to attend a two-year program at college/university, trade school or other technical/vocational training. Recipients of this scholarship embody LCF’s mission of improving the quality of life, building a culture of giving, and encouraging positive change for the greater Lyons area.  The 2022 recipient of LCF's 2-year study scholarship, Issac Tostanoski, plans on studying architecture at Paradise Community College in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Lyons Community Foundation is proud of the accomplishments of these six students, as well as the accomplishments of all the students who applied for the scholarships. These scholarships are made possible through the generous donations of the Lyons community. If you would like to support the scholarship program and help a student achieve their dream of a college education, your contributions are greatly appreciated. To donate to any of these scholarships, please go to www.lyonscf.org/donate.html, click on DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND and indicate if you would like your support applied in memory of Steve Ralston, Gerald Boland, Janet Orback, or the General Scholarship Fund.  Donations may also be mailed to the Lyons Community Foundation, PO Box 546, Lyons, Colorado 80540.

This photo was taken at the Awards Ceremony at Lyons Middle/Senior High School on May 11th.
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Left to right: LCF Scholarship Committee Chair Gwydion Winklemeyer, LCF Chair Jeanne Moore, LCF Marketing and Communications Associate Tanya Mercer-Daty, LCF Scholarship Recipients Gage Basey, Kasey Knapp, Arjen Wynja, Issac Tostanoski, Gylian Hay and Cassidy Jennings Batts