Christine Holcombe Memorial Scholarships awarded

Shown at the presentation of the Christine Holcombe Scholarships are (front from left) Hayleigh Lagrone, Madeline Kostroun and Ke’Ara Tindle; (center row, from left) Davis Denny and Grant Westbrook; and (back row, from left) Rod Holcombe, Luke Holcombe, Andy Holcombe and Tyler Vrazel.

The Christine Holcombe Memorial scholarship fund has awarded seven Milam County college students a total of $10,000 in scholarships.
The collegiate scholarship fund was established in honor of longtime Milam County extension agent Christine Holcombe who lost her battle with cancer in 2013. Funds for this scholarship were raised earlier this year at the Mardi Gras Gala.
“We had several deserving students who applied for the scholarships so it wasn’t an easy decision,” said Dianne Braudrick of the scholarship committee.
“Christine was always encouraging young people to focus on their education and follow their dreams and it was an honor to help select this year’s scholarship recipients.”
Davis Denny of Thorndale, Grant Westbrook of Milano and Tyler Vrazel of Buckholts each received a $2,000 scholarship.
Denny is studying Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M while Westbrook is majoring in Education and Human development at A&M. Vrazel is attending Sam Houston State University and is pursuing a career in Wildlife Management.
Hayleigh Lagrone of Milano, Ke’Ara Tindle, Kaitlyn Zarosky and Madeline Kostroun of Cameron were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
Lagrone is enrolled in Blinn’s Radiology Program and would like to work in health care management. Tindle is also attending Blinn and is studying to be a journalist. Kostroun is majoring in horticulture at Texas A&M while Zarosky is finishing up her kinesiology degree at A&M and plans to become a teacher and coach.
The collegiate scholarships will be awarded annually with funds coming from the Mardi Gras Gala. Next year’s event will be held Feb. 6.
Since the program’s inception, $41,000 in scholarships have been awarded. The scholarship is open to students who have completed at least one year of college work and graduated from a Milam County high school or must be a former Milam County resident. For more information, visit the Christine Holcombe Memorial page on Facebook.