SSHS graduates receive Reach Higher Montana scholarships

HELENA – Seeley-Swan High School graduates Gabrielle "Gabby" Sexton and Nicole Williams were among 81 Montana students who received a $1,000 Reach Higher Montana Scholarship for use in the 2021-2022 academic year. Scholarships were awarded to Montana students and must be used at accredited Montana colleges.

Reach Higher Montana Programs Manager Rhonda Safford said this year they had more than 800 applicants for the 81 scholarships.

"It is quite competitive," Safford wrote in an email. 

More than 50 volunteers - consisting of retired teachers, board members, partners and community members - score each application twice. The final score is the average of those two scores. 

"This gives the student the option of two perspectives by two different evaluators," Safford wrote. 

Sexton graduated from SSHS in 2018 and is attending Montana State University with a major in Agricultural Education. She applied for the scholarship because Reach Higher Montana promotes and supports students who are reaching higher in their education, career and life. She also has been saving for college since she sold her first 4-H animal at the age of 10 so she could pay for college on her own without much assistance from her parents. This scholarship would help with that cost.

Safford said Sexton did a great job of explaining her career aspirations of being a high school Agricultural Education teacher. She gave details on her educational plan to meet this goal while at Montana State University and included some meaningful achievements including making the Dean's list and how that related to her future goal.  

Williams graduated from SSHS in 2019 and is currently attending Carroll College working towards a degree in English Writing. She applied for the scholarship after receiving an email from her college.

"I figured that it would be a good idea to apply," Williams wrote in an email. "I honestly didn't really expect to get it since I applied on the last day!"

Safford said Williams shared in her application how her education contributed to who she is today by her love for literature and writing. Williams said this scholarship would help her reach higher while attending Carroll College and would allow her to focus more on her schooling and less on finances.  

"They both had overall outstanding applications," Safford said adding both Sexton and Williams have outstanding GPAs, each application had interesting content told in a compelling story format and both of their grammar and spelling were perfect. "These two young ladies are an inspiration to us all."

"It's definitely a great honor and I'm really happy to have it so that I can continue my education," Williams wrote.

"It feels truly amazing to have received this scholarship," wrote Sexton in an email. "It is affirmation that all my hard work and dedication towards getting a degree in Agricultural Education is paying off. I want to thank Reach Higher Montana for giving myself and other students the opportunity to apply for this scholarship," Sexton wrote. "I would also like to thank my family and other Seeley Lake community members who have helped me get to this point in my college education!"

The Reach Higher Montana Scholarship program annually awards 81, $1,000 scholarships to Montana students. Thirty awards are made to graduating high school seniors, and 50 awards are made to students who are continuing their postsecondary education. In addition, one award is given to a Montana student with military experience in honor of Carl Valvoda, a Montana service member who tragically lost his life to cancer in 2015. This year's Carl Valvoda Scholarship recipient is Kevin Watson, a Great Falls High School graduate attending Helena College. 

The complete list of scholarship winners is available at www.ReachHigherMontana.org