Nurturing the Next Generation

By Laura Lombardi

Earlier this year, the Sumner County Conservation District Board established a new scholarship program for high school seniors and college students who reside in Sumner County. In July, board members reviewed applications and selected two outstanding recipients. On August 7, Caden Smalley and Jensen Lynnes were each awarded a $500 scholarship.

Smalley, a recent Belle Plaine High School graduate, will attend Fort Hays Tech Northwest in Goodland this fall, enrolling in the electrical technology program. In his essay, “The Land That Made Me,” he shared both the challenges his family has faced and his aspirations to one day own and operate his own farm.

Lynnes, a 2023 Wellington High School graduate, is entering her junior year at Kansas State University, majoring in Nutrition and Health. She plans to pursue a Doctor of Optometry degree and spent the summer interning at an optometry clinic in Andover. Her application outlined a long-term goal to return to rural Kansas and open her own optometry practice.

The scholarship opportunity was promoted through Sumner County high school counselors and the Conservation District’s social media channels. The organization plans to offer the program again next spring.