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For immediate release: 
8:00 a.m. Monday, April 25, 2022 

San Isabel Electric awarded a record $39,000 to community youth for the 2022-2023 academic year.  

The San Isabel Electric Board of Directors scored the applicants based on their resume, cover letter, letters of recommendation, their answer to a 300-word essay, as well as the format, grammar, and punctuation of their overall application. The top-scoring students were invited to interview to compete for a chance to win a $5,000 Powered-Up Scholarship.  

Mariah Vigil of John Mall High School, and Madison Tatinski of Pueblo West High School were selected to each receive a $5,000 Powered-Up scholarship. Their schools both received a $500 donation from San Isabel Electric’s Board of Directors.  

Micah DiMatteo of Rye High School, and Travis Persons, of Pueblo West High School were awarded $2,000 runner-up Powered-Up scholarships.  

Vigil, Tatinski, DiMatteo and Persons interviewed with the board to compete for the Powered-Up Scholarship. Typically, the board only awards one $5,000 Powered-Up Scholarship. However, the students that interviewed had such exceptional achievements, and high moral character, the board decided to award extra scholarships.  

The following 24 students also received $1,000 scholarships from the utility. Eligibility requirements varied based on each scholarship opportunity. All of the scholarship opportunities required the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to be members, meaning they must buy electricity from San Isabel Electric. All but the At-Large Scholarship require the student’s primary address to be in SIEA’s service area and the student must attend a member school. The At-Large scholarship is open to students who go to a school outside the area the utility serves, but who still have parents who are members.  

San Isabel Electric scholarship 

San Isabel Electric Scholarships are awarded to the top scoring applicants from each school that buys electricity from SIEA and who have a primary address in SIEA’s area.  

Aguilar  

  • Grace Micek 

Branson 

  • Brody Doherty
  • Isaac Provost 

Hoehne 

  • Neveah Martinez 
  • Isabel Martin 

John Mall High School 

  • Tanna Dotter 
  • Marrisa Martinez 

La Veta High School  

  • Samuel Montalbano 

Primero 

  • Makayla Nash
  • Jonathan Rivera 

Pueblo West High School  

  • Emily Cordova 

Swallows Charter Academy 

  • Nathan Martin 

Rye High School 

  • Gracie Pfalmer 

 

First-to-Attend Scholarships 

First to Attend Scholarships are awarded to applicants who will be the first person in their immediate family planning to attend their first year of higher education at an accredited college or university.  

  • Samantha Ingraffia Aguilar  
  • Jessica Espinoza John Mall High School 
  • Gilbert Lopez Pueblo West High School 
  • Jocelyn Kirkland Rye High School  
  • Emily Berry Swallows Charter Academy 

 

Continuing Education Scholarships 

Continued Education Scholarship is awarded to applicants who have been out of high school for a minimum of two years and are planning to attend an accredited institute in higher education.  

  • Shayla Simpson Rye area
  • Nicholas Navarette Trinidad area 

At-Large Scholarships 

At-Large Scholarships are awarded to the top-scoring applicants whose parent(s) or guardian(s) buy electricity from San Isabel Electric but go to a school outside the service area.  

  • Lena Gomez Pueblo County High School  
  • William Peaslee Homeschooled – Pueblo West 
  • Rylie Pachelli Trinidad High School  

 

Vocational Scholarship 

Vocational Scholarships are awarded to students who plan to attend a vocational or trade school.  

  • Layla Martinez John Mall High School 

 

Scholarship funding comes from unclaimed capital credits, which is money the electric co-op tried to return to member-owners but went unclaimed. The current list of unclaimed capital credits is published at siea.com/capitalcredits and is available in the April edition of Colorado Country Life magazine. 

San Isabel Electric has been awarding scholarships since 1990.  

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As a not-for-profit cooperative utility, San Isabel Electric provides affordable, reliable electricity with exceptional service to communities throughout southern Colorado. Serving nearly 20,000 member-owners and 24,000 meters, San Isabel Electric has been keeping the lights on since 1938. We don’t just serve communities. We are part of communities.