Blog

Congratulations, Scholarship Winners!

November 23, 2020

We are so excited to announce our 2020 Community Builder Scholarship winners - Rickie Seaton, Riley Carlson, and Brian Collison! Last week we took the opportunity to celebrate our winners by having them join our team for a Scholarship Luncheon at Kenny's Steakhouse in Greeley. We are extremely proud of these individuals for their commitment and excellence to their chosen field as well as their dedicated involvement within our community. We would love to share a few things about each winner and why they were chosen to receive these awards. 

Rickie Seaton - Studying to be a Nurse in Women's Health 

Rickie grew up thinking that she wanted to be a nurse, however, with the Lord directing her in a different path, she began her career path at Ozark Christian College where she instead earned a degree in Christian Ministry. After graduating, she began working for a non-profit that came alongside survivors of and those at risk for sexual exploitation and sex-trafficking. During her time at that organization, she realized that nursing could actually open up quite a few doors in that particular field and decided to return back to school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

After recently moving to Colorado with her husband, Rickie found that it would benefit her and others to further her education once again and become a Registered Nurse. She will begin the Registered Nursing program in January while continuing to work and serve as an LPN at a local Home Health and Hospice facility here in Northern Colorado. After she graduates with her RN license, Rickie's dream job is to work at a crisis pregnancy center that serves this population as well as expectant moms who were not planning to become pregnant. 

Brian Collison - Studying to earn his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 

Brian began his career in Student Ministry and continued working in that field for 6 years before deciding to pursue a change to the counseling profession. During his time in student ministry, he would recognize students and families who were struggling to adapt to the new life stages they were entering. He quickly became a listening ear and tried to encourage those he encountered, however, he often felt that he didn't have the necessary skills or training to help them truly see change occur in their life. It was about this time that Brian started to explore other career options and seek out opportunities in the counseling profession. 

In the Fall of 2019, Brian officially began the program to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. When asked about why he chose to go into counseling and what it means to him, Brian said "I want to be a professional counselor because I desire to help individuals move towards healing and wholeness. I have been and am currently in counseling myself and have firsthand experienced the healing power that comes from engaging in the therapy process. I want to work with individuals who are experiencing anxiety, depression, addiction as well as going through life transitions and struggling to cope with past trauma." 

Riley Carlson - Studying to be an Elementary School Teacher (Not Pictured)
Unfortunately, Riley was not able to join us for the Scholarship Luncheon 

Riley grew up in a family of teachers and has always known that she wanted to be a teacher herself. She specifically wants to teach children and is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at The University of Northern Colorado. 

While not yet having completed her degree, Riley already finds that she is able to impact and invest in students. This past year, she has been able to serve children and the community by leading a K-Kids club - a club for elementary students that meets throughout the year and provides opportunities for students to work together while serving the school and community. Over the summer she was also able to volunteer at Calvary Church Derby Hill and assist them in painting and remodeling, along with helping lead Sunday morning worship. 

When asked about why she wants to teach, Riley said "The beauty of becoming an educator is that the entire aim of my career will be centered around giving back to my community. As a future teacher, my career will enable me to daily give back and invest in the lives of our nation’s future - the children. A strong support system is critical for a child’s development and growth, and I will have the unique position to provide that support system that might be lacking otherwise while nurturing the minds of our future."

Congratulations to our three winners and thank you to all of those who applied!