Past Ben Masengil Scholarship Awards

2009 Ben Masengil Scholarship Award Recipient

Two selected for Ben Masengil scholarships -
Adam McCuistion & Karlie Hibler are honored for their achievements

The SWANA Beaver Chapter strives to award two Ben Masengil Scholarships every year – one for a high school graduate entering college and one for a returning student. All nominees must be children or grandchildren of current SWANA members.

This year’s scholarship recipients are Adam McCuistion, son of Jay McCuistion of Columbia Environmental, and Karlie Hibler, daughter of Kim Smith of Eugene.

Karlie was born in Eugene and graduated from North Eugene High School in 2006. She started classes at Lane Community College during the 2008 summer term and has been going full time ever since. Karlie’s major is zoology and she is planning on enrolling in veterinary school or pursuing another graduate program in zoology after finishing her undergraduate studies in spring 2010. Her career goals lie within the field of wildlife conservation and she hopes to work with endangered and/or threatened species.

Adam McCuistion plans on attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this fall and majoring in Electrical Engineering. This past year he graduated from Ridgefield High School in Ridgefield WA. He has three older brothers. He was involved in premiere soccer for seven years, 4-H for nine years, Varsity basketball and soccer in high school, and also National Honor Society. Adam also served with his youth group at the Salvation Army camp as well as an orphanage in Tecate, Mexico.
 

2007 Ben Masengil Scholarship Award Recipients

2007's recipient in the recent high school graduate category was Samm Schimke, son of Timm Schimke of Deschutes County. The winner of the scholarship for a returning student is Brian Daniel Bickford, son of Jeff Bickford of Marion County. Sam and Brian’s chosen universities will receive $1,000 each toward the students’ tuition, and the recipients will receive letters of congratulations from the SWANA Oregon Beaver Chapter. Congratulations to both Samm and Brian!

Brian Bickford graduated from South Salem High School in 2005 and has completed his second year at Oregon State University, where he is enrolled in the Engineering program. He served as a resident assistant in the dorms at OSU last year, worked part time managing animals at Brads World Reptiles near Corvallis during the past two years, and spent the summer break of 2007 working on Marion County Public Works’ bridge crew.

2006 Ben Masengil Scholarship Award Recipient

2006's recipient in the recent high school graduate category is Elsbeth Centola, daughter of Chad Centola of Deschutes County. The winner of the scholarship for a returning student is Brian Daniel Bickford, son of Jeff Bickford of Marion County. Elsbeth and Brian’s chosen universities will receive $1,000 each toward the students’ tuition, and the recipients will receive letters of congratulations from the SWANA Oregon Beaver Chapter. Congratulations to both Elsbeth and Brian!

Elsbeth Centola graduated from Bend Senior High School this June, with honors. For the last seven years she has volunteered at the High Desert Museum in Bend, supervising teens in the museum’s teen volunteer program and working in the animal program, where she handled birds of prey and did interpretive presentations on raptors. It was this exposure to handling animals—large birds, in particular—that piqued her interest in veterinary medicine. She is majoring in zoology at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and is planning to study veterinary medicine in graduate school. Elsbeth is the daughter of Chad Centola, operations manager for the Deschutes County Department of Solid Waste.

Brian Daniel Bickford also is majoring in zoology, but at Oregon State University, where he currently is a sophomore. Brian has a long list of school and community activities that have kept him busy in addition to his studies. Brian was a member of the Environmental Club and National Honor Society, has spent many hours in piano lessons and orchestra work, and still has time for a paying job and his class work.