Annual CRSP Scholarship recipients recently named

Each year, members of CRSP (Coryell Retired School Personnel) award scholarships to two Coryell County graduating seniors who are planning to enter college in the fall and who plan to pursue a career in education. This year’s scholarship recipients are Cayleigh Coursey and Hayden Heck, both graduates of Gatesville High School.

Cayleigh Coursey, Hornet GOLD 4-H Club Member, has had an exceptional 4-H career serving as 4-H council member, state 4-H photography ambassador, healthy Texas youth ambassador, district 8 vice-president, and Coryell County 4-H ambassador. Her main 4-H projects include Photography, Food and Nutrition, Health and Safety, Rabbits, Community Service, and Leadership. In addition to activities in Future Farmers of America, Student Council, and Yearbook Staff, she played Varsity Volleyball. She has received honors, including the HFND Award, the U.S. History Academic Award, and a 2^nd place in State FFA Competition in Milk Quality. Community service projects include her participation as a volunteer at a Dallas Food Bank filling crate containers with canned goods; working in the Super Bowl of Caring for the Senior Care Center where she packed boxes of canned goods for the Care Center; joining the Adopt a Highway Roadside Trash Cleanup, picking up trash along Highway 36; and helping with the Annual Food for Families Drive. She has worked as a lifeguard at the City Pool, a Fit and Swim Kids Instructor, and a photographer for the Gatesville Messenger.

Cayleigh explained, “Embarking on the journey to an agricultural career, I’m thrilled to be the first in my family taking the leap into college. College isn’t just an option; it’s the colossal next step after high school, and I’m diving in headfirst. My parents and I have been saving money, and I have hustled with part-time jobs in the summer. I have also racked up 16 credit hours through dual credit classes with Central Texas College, a testament to my commitment.” She continued, “I aspire to achieve excellence in agricultural studies, master sustainable farming practices, and amplify my leadership skills within the farming community. Financial assistance is the missing piece that would allow me to dive into my academic pursuits, and it would open doors to internships, research, and experiences that will shape my education and future career. Committed to academic excellence and community impact, I see this opportunity with financial help as the catalyst to realizing my dreams.”

Hayden Heck has participated in Band, Yearbook Staff, Track, and UIL academics. In December, Hayden represented GHS in ATSSB All-Region Auditions with Bass Clarinet, and he earned 1^st Chair. Then in January, he auditioned in Robinson at Area-level competition on Bass Clarinet. He represented GHS and was named a State Alternate in competition. He was recipient of the Superintendent Scholar Award from GISD, an honor given to students who score 25 or higher on the ACT, 1150 or higher on the PSAT/SAT, or who earned recognition on the Duke Tip program in seventh grade. He has acquired some work experience in the areas of taping, floating, and texturing. Community service projects include volunteering for work in the concession stand. Hayden lists his desired field of study as Teaching/Education, Vocational.

Hayden quoted Kofi Annan, a Nobel Prize winner and former Secretary-General of the United Nations, as saying, “For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education, a basic human right.”  Hayden added, “All people deserve an equal opportunity to become educated. Any person from any background or any social status who strives for further education should be encouraged and pushed to obtain it. However, many people lack the resources and funding to allow them to pursue a further education.”

Hayden again quoted Kofi Annan, “Education is the great equalizer of our time. It creates hope for the hopeless and creates chances for those without (hope).” Education is the very base of our society, and we are unable to function well without it. Summing up, Hayden explains, “Money doesn’t define someone’s ability to be educated, but rather what they must go through to obtain the information. With scholarships such as this one, funding the academic adventure of its recipients, more and more people are able to appease their scholarly hunger. Doors are open now that were once closed; and new opportunities, experiences, and ideas are given to us eager recipients. Dreams become a reality. The power of education is now given into the hands of ones who were denied access to it before.”