Scholarship recipients announced

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2020 SLCF Scholarship. Hunter Shelmerdine, Lily Mercer and Chance Johnson each will receive $500 towards university expenses. 

These students had to learn how to navigate their freshman year of college during a very unusual time due to COVID-19.

Shelmerdine graduated as valedictorian of the Seeley-Swan High School Class of 2019. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at Montana State University. Shelmerdine wrote, "Growing up in Seeley Lake for most of my life meant that a lot of my life revolved around sports during the school year and fire season in the summer." Hunter was a Seeley-Swan LEO's Club founding member, worked at Lindey's and NatureScapes during high school, and is "a worthy representative of the Seeley Lake educational community" according to Dr. Kathleen Pecora, retired SSHS principal. 

Mercer held a State record in Track and Field and participated at the state level all four years of high school. Coach David Cahoon wrote, "I was fortunate to coach Lily in basketball and track & field during her time at Seeley-Swan High School. Lily is a hard working and diligent woman."

Currently a member of the Davison Honors College at the University of Montana, Mercer became active on campus last year with marches and meetings on global warming.  She plans on double majoring in Marketing and Psychology, and hopes to minor in Fine Arts, as art is one of her deepest passions. Mercer was also a member of the LEOs Club at SSHS and worked at Holland Lake Lodge during her summers. 

Johnson was a student trustee for the Missoula County Public Schools board during his time at SSHS and was a founding member of the Leos Club in 2017. Currently, he is studying pharmacy at the University of Montana.

Johnson was part of the football, basketball, and track & field teams for all four years earning academic all-state honors for each sport each year. He worked at Pyramid Mountain Lumber during the summers.

SSHS coach and teacher Michael Haines wrote, "Chance represents our school in a classy manner and he will be missed at SSHS."

Congratulations to Chance, Lily, and Hunter, and good luck in the year ahead! Seeley Lake is lucky to have such motivated students who grew up here and the Seeley Lake Community Foundation is delighted to sponsor a small part of their education.

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation has provided over $14,000 in scholarships to Seeley-Swan students since 2006. The SLCF scholarship is designed for students who have graduated from Seeley-Swan High School and have finished at least one year of college or trade school.  The scholarship is meant to assist with costs incurred at a college, university or technical school.  2021 applications will be available next spring on the SLCF website. 

The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit that engages philanthropy, provides leadership, and enhances the quality of life and economic vitality of the Seeley Lake area.