One high school senior whose family is served by Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative has earned a $2,500 trade school scholarship from the cooperative.
Caden Spencer, who attends Baker High School, plans to attend the Volta Trade School in Astoria. Spencer plans on utilizing the school’s entry level lineworker program.
“I have a strong interest in this field of work,” he said. “It will provide a background and certification in a discipline that I feel will be rewarding as well as challenging.”
Trade school scholarship winners are selected by the cooperative’s board of directors from a pool of candidates from OTEC’s four service counties, Grant, Union, Harney and Baker. Scholarship funds come from unclaimed capital credits and do not affect electric rates.
“The cooperative's seven principles include a commitment to education, and we strive to do that by being involved in our school systems,” said OTEC Manager of Communications and Public Relations Andrew Cutler. “This scholarship, and the others OTEC provides, are another way we can add to that effort.”
Applications are still being accepted for trade school scholarships and are available online at www.otec.coop.