Custer County Foundation awards over $150,000 in scholarships at Sunday ceremony

ANSLEY, Neb.— The Custer County Foundation held its annual Scholarship Award Ceremony on Sunday (March 22) inside the Ansley Public School gym. It’s estimated that about 350 people attended to witness 109 scholarships totaling $153,950 be awarded to Custer County students.

A full list of scholarships and their recipients, as well as photos, are available at the end of this story

Guest speaker Mike Bailey began the afternoon’s event by extending the sentiment that while starting a new chapter and learning to make your own decisions is huge, failures might happen.. which he said is okay.

“Failure doesn’t define who you are, it’s going to build who you become,” said Bailey, who graduated from Ansley Public School in 1989 before attending the University of Nebraska—Lincoln to graduate with a degree in Agricultural Economics and Farm and Ranch Management. Mike currently operates Bailey Crop Insurance and AgCurate Technologies in Ansley, while remaining active at the local fire department in his spare time.

Bailey encouraged everyone to ‘get out and live life to the fullest’, while also encouraging not waiting to do things that make a difference in the lives of others.

Donors, some traveling from distances out of state, have an opportunity to meet the students whose lives they are directly impacting by being in attendance. Students also have a unique experience in not being aware of the scholarship they are receiving, nor the amount, until their name is called.

Over 1,200 applications were received by the Foundation, whose members said once again that choosing recipients was not an easy task. Scholarships awarded were for various fields of study including nursing, veterinary medicine, journalism, cosmetology, and beyond for both two and four year degrees.

To this date since its inception, the Custer County Foundation has awarded over $2.01 million in scholarships to Custer County students. Those seeking more information about establishing a scholarship should contact the office at 308-872-2232 or email Executive Director Rilee Daffer at [email protected].