The Custer County Foundation held its annual Scholarship Award Ceremony on Sunday, March 26, at the One Box Convention Center in Broken Bow, NE.
Alicia Hermsmeyer, Board Member of the Custer County Foundation, conducted the welcome to the estimated 350 people in attendance. Alicia also introduced our guest speaker, Kevin Thompson, who grew up in Broken Bow and graduated from Broken Bow High School. Kevin attended the University of Nebraska Kearney where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Kevin is also a graduate of Northwestern University’s “School of Police Staff and Command”, and most recently he graduated from the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia Session #283. Kevin currently lives in Kearney, Nebraska with his wife, Amy. Kevin is the Operations Captain for the Kearney Police Department.
Kevin shared the lessons he has learned throughout his life and offered great pieces of advice to those in attendance. He went on to say, “a disciplined approach every day is what you need for the long haul. Success is no more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day.” Kevin touched on the people who will try to derail you and keep you from reaching your goal and the importance of avoiding those people. He also talked about the importance of consistency and finishing what you start. “You can’t start a race to finish first every time. You start the race just to finish. Consistency, that’s what you need to do and practice, be a finisher.” A disciplined approach is also very important in Kevin’s life; he advised, “see failure as a beginning, not an end. Our habits decide our future, be disciplined.” Kevin went on to discuss the importance of giving back. “Give back, each of us has mentors in our lives who have always given us something, and you need to be able to give back to others and help them along their journey as well.” In closing, Kevin said, “without commitment, you will never start, but more importantly without consistency you will never finish. Keep working, keep learning and building relationships, keep striving, and never give up.”
This scholarship ceremony continues to be successful because of our special guests, the donors who travel from places like Kansas City and Lincoln, as well as many from Custer County. Not only are they in attendance to present their scholarships, but to share great stories about their families and offer words of advice and encouragement. Their presence also gives them an opportunity to meet the students whose lives they are directly impacting. Another unique aspect of the ceremony is the element of surprise for the students receiving the scholarships. Until their name is called, they are neither aware of the scholarship they are receiving nor the amount. This anticipation makes the event even more enjoyable.
Executive Director, Lindsay Cook, announced 91 scholarships would be presented to 81 students for a total amount of $143,180 awarded! Scholarships offered through the Foundation are for various fields of study including, nursing, veterinary medicine, journalism, lineman, and cosmetology to name a few. Scholarships are available for four-year and two-year degrees. She went on to explain the selection process and thanked the scholarship committee for their hard work and dedication in selecting the recipients. Nearly 1,200 applications were received and selecting the recipients was not an easy task. After all the awards were presented, the guidance counselors were thanked for all the assistance they offer the students with the application process. The ceremony closed by inviting attendees to enjoy refreshments and cookies while thanking those in attendance and wishing the graduates the best of luck as they begin new chapters in their lives.
The Custer County Foundation was established 32 years ago! Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $1.4 million in scholarships to Custer County students. Jerry Adams presented the Adams Land & Cattle scholarships. Jerry talked about serving on the Foundation Board in the infancy of the Foundation and mentioned how back then the Foundation had 2 or 3 scholarships and probably not even $1,000. Now there are 91 scholarships! He talked about how Broken Bow and Custer County are great places to live and raise a family. If you would like to learn more about establishing a scholarship through the Custer County Foundation please contact the office at 308-872-2232 or custerfoundation@msn.com.