To San Isabel Electric Association, scholarships are about providing opportunity for young adults who are developing what makes them special. We know firsthand just how many different talents and skills people have to offer and how important it is that those abilities are cultivated. For this reason and more, San Isabel Electric is adding a new scholarship to its list of yearly awards: The Brendon Beach Memorial Scholarship.
The scholarship is named after Brendon Beach, an SIEA lineworker who tragically passed away earlier this year in an off-duty auto accident. This scholarship is being offered with the intention to honor and respect Brendon’s legacy.
“We believe we can pay forward his work and time at SIEA through providing opportunities to a new generation of lineworkers,” Board President Jacque Sikes said.
Sadie Beach, Brendon’s wife, explained that linework was a good outlet and fit for Brendon. “[As a kid] he climbed everything, he was always on top of a mountain … he could not hold still.”
Sadie explained that being a lineworker gave Brendon the opportunity to succeed, even when people in his life did not think he would.
“He was one of those kids that a lot of people would treat like he was trouble. Being able to succeed because he was able to find the career path that worked best for him meant so much to him,” she said.
Most people who take up linework enjoy working outdoors, with their hands, thinking on their feet, and helping people. The path to become a journeyman lineman typically requires six months of trade school followed by four years of on-the-job training in an apprenticeship program.
Sadie, the mother of their three young children, explained that Brendon loved working with his hands and solving problems. She recalled, “He would get a call in the middle of the night and enthusiastically say, ‘Welp, time to go to work!’”
Sadie has remained part of the SIEA family since Brendon’s death, and she is grateful the co-op is honoring her late husband with this scholarship.
SIEA hopes the Brendon Beach Memorial Scholarship will be an opportunity for a local student to find their fit in a career as a lineworker. This scholarship will cover all tuition and fees related to attending a line school — see full details on the application. The scholarship will be awarded to one high school graduate planning on pursuing a career in linework. Applications for the Brendon Beach Memorial Scholarship are open now at siea.com/scholarships.
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