Dufur School recognizes seniors with $135k in scholarships; more to come at Saturday's graduation

From Dufur School:

By our good friend TyLynn Wenzel

Wednesday evening marked new beginnings and the end for many students at Dufur school. 

The 8th-grade promotion certificates were awarded to the incoming freshmen, who will begin their high school journey in the fall. 

However, the main event of the evening was the senior scholarship awards gifting over $135,000 from the Ranger Pride Education Foundation and other local area scholarships.

Seventeen seniors were present to receive the scholarship monies that helped end their high school career on a high note, and look forward to their future. 

And if $135,000 doesn’t seem like enough help for their future, the Dufur high school grads will be awarded much more on Saturday during the graduation ceremony when the Jerry Walker Depriest Memorial Endowment fund will present another $82,250 to this year’s graduates.  Graduation starts at 11 a.m.

Superintendent, Jack Henderson, asked the seniors if they realized how special these circumstances were at Dufur School, and all of the graduates nodded enthusiastically, yes!

The evening kicked off with the National Honor Society hosting the event and providing a meal for purchase for those who were interested.  This was a dual fundraiser for the National Honor Society and the Ranger Pride Education Foundation.  NHS also provided cake and other refreshments for all to enjoy.  Superintendent Jack Henderson welcomed the graduates, family members and other Dufur School students to the evening festivities, and then he turned the program over to Cynthia Kortge, the Ranger Pride Education Foundation executive director.  

The seniors introduced themselves and what their future plans entailed.  National honor society members were recognized, while advisor, Sarah Anderson, passed out the NHS chords to the graduates.  Nancy Wilson recognized the 8th graders that were being promoted to high school status and handed out the certificates of recognition.  

Kortge then introduced the board members of the Ranger Pride Education Foundation, and asked the presenters to announce the winners for each scholarship. 

Taylor Armstrong and Bryce Tierney were both awarded $8000 through the Barbara Paist Technical Scholarship.  Jack Henderson presented the Bob Stevenson Athletic Scholarship to Tora Timinsky and August Harvey.  The well-funded Crosby Scholarship for the Advancement of the Sciences awarded a total of $50,000 to 6 students; Landon Ellis, Allie Masterson, August Harvey, Emma Coleman, Maggie Lindhorst, and Piper Wagenblast.  Other RPEF scholarships awarded were the Dorothy G McManigal Memorial Scholarship to Kannen Rockwell and Piper Wagonblast.  Dufur Alumni Scholarship was awarded to Natalie Reffet and Cameron Bostick.  The Jim Shultz Memorial Scholarship was presented to Marshal McLaughlin and Allie Masterson. The Zipporah G Woods Scholarship was given to Landon Ellis, and finally the Heisler Scholarship awarded $8000 each to Maggie Lindhorst and August Harvey.

Other local scholarships presented were the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation’s Randy Rood Memorial Scholarship.  Amanda Evans from the MCHF Foundation Board was able to present this very generous multi-year scholarship to four seniors; Emma Coleman, Taylor Armstrong, Natalie Reffet, and Maggie Lindhorst. 

She also congratulated Dufur students on the fact that in the last 19 years, 48 Dufur grads had received scholarships from the Randy Rood scholarship fund.  Amanda Evans also presented the Wasco Lodge Masonic Scholarship to Landon Ellis and Maggie Lindhorst.  The OnCourse Foundation Scholarship was presented to Maggie Lindhorst.  The Dufur Christian Church also presented two scholarships, one to Natalie Reffet and one to Maggie Lindhorst.

During the remainder of the evening other various athletic awards were presented.  The middle school and high school teachers gave out individual subject area or class awards to students for their outstanding academic achievements.  Outstanding educators were also recognized as the RPEF Board of Trustees awarded the S.T.A.R. awards (Super Teachers Are Rangers) to four of Dufur’s amazing staff, Tess Welk, Rose Hertel, Sarah Anderson and Bonnie Lepinski.

The evening concluded with the senior class slideshow.  Cynthia Kortge thanked all of the individuals and organizations for their presentations of the various scholarships and awards.  Since its inception three years ago, the Ranger Pride Education Foundation has been able to award over $227,000 to Dufur students to continue their education.  Thank you to Cynthia Kortge, Jack Henderson, and the Ranger Pride Education Foundation board of trustees for making this happen.