The Scholarship Awards Ceremony honoring the Mason High School class of 2025 was held on May 14th in the Mason High School auditorium. MHS Principal Kade Burns opened the evening by saying, “To the organizations and individuals who make the scholarship opportunities available, the students, parents, teachers, and community are forever grateful. Thank you for caring enough to make a difference in the lives of our students. I would like to say a word about these students you see before you. These young people are proof positive that hard work pays off in the end. They have continued the tradition of excellence at Mason High School.
There are only 44 students in the class of 2025, yet they were able to amass well over a million dollars in scholarship offers.
The current figure is $1,780,407, and we’re still counting.
We are proud of these students for their efforts, and we know you are as well.”
Coach Burns then turned the program over to school counselor, Melany Canfield. She thanked the attendees saying, “I would like to tell all of you who have supported these students through the years: the parents, grandparents, friends and family members of these graduates how proud we are of all of them. They have studied for their classes, practiced for their extra-curricular activities, worked hard at part time jobs and volunteered in our community. And now they are reaping the rewards of their industrious spirits. They are a remarkable group of people, and they mean a great deal to us at Mason High School. Now, let’s start handing out some money!” The class of 2025 is the seventh class to be able to take advantage of the Geneva Keller Scholarship. The Mason ISD Scholarship Foundation was formed to coordinate, encourage and assist educational functions and activities in Mason County by granting scholarships within the Mason Independent School District. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide financial support, leadership ability, professional expertise and other talents, and to establish a monetary fund to be used to benefit individual students with scholarship assistance to colleges, universities, and trade or technical schools. The Board of Directors of the Foundation include local bankers, businessmen and women, ranchers, and members of the school administration. These citizens volunteer their time and talents for the benefit of students at Mason ISD and are not financially compensated for their efforts.
The Foundation received its first bequest in the form of land in July 2017. This land, better known as White’s Crossing on the Llano River, was left to the foundation by Geneva R Keller, a native of Mason County, in honor of the members of the John Luther Rogers family, namely John Luther Rogers, Minnie Eckert Rogers, Geneva Rogers Keller, Jeanette Rogers Schneider and Ira Paschal Rogers. After the Foundation took possession, this land was subsequently subdivided and marketed, with the first tracts being sold in early 2018. The money is being invested as per the policies established by the Board of Directors. Proceeds from the investments of the Foundation will be awarded annually to all eligible graduates other benefactors and continue to grow the Foundation assets. Few communities are blessed with this kind of generous gift to help students and we hope each of you will remember fondly your years at Mason ISD, and Geneva R Keller and her family, who made this scholarship possible.
This year’s recipients will receive between $5,000 and $10,000 each, depending on how many semesters they attended Mason High School. The Scholarship Foundation Board extends its best wishes to each of them in their pursuit of excellence now and into the future. The following students received the Geneva Keller Scholarship: Kaymie Alba, Conley Bownds, Hunter Bradley, Chapman Brewer, Kimbrea Broyles, Annalise Cawley, Kalli Criswell, Shaylee Edmiston, Reegan Evans, Taylor Garcia, Raudel Gomez, Michelle Grimes, Walker Ince, Cannon Jacoby, Kaden Kimbriel, Garrett Lindsay, Jordan, Lyles, Scout Magnus, Matthew Martinez-King, Emma McCrea, Taryn McCrea, Landon Munsell, Matthew Norman, John Preston Parrish, Angel Quintero, Cannon Rabon, Chantz Reed, Jonah Resendiz, Carlton Schmidt, Sutten Silerio, Rylan Todd, Mitchell Underwood and Case Weber.
Cannon Rabon was awarded the Goetz, Lorenz and Luanna Scholarship for $20,000. John Preston Parrish was the recipient of the Catholic Life Insurance All American Scholar Award for $1,000. Jordan Lyles received the $1,000 FFA Scholarship sponsored by Mclane Ford of Fredericksburg. Kalli Criswell is the recipient of the Hill Country Board of Realtors Scholarship for $500. Rylan Todd is the winner of the VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship for $5,800. Sloan Landre and Jared Whitworth presented scholarships on behalf of the Mason Rodeo Association to students who volunteer for the organization during the Mason County Round-up Rodeo help annually in July. Those students were: Kimbrea Broyles, Kalli Criswell, Shaylee Edmiston, Raudel Gomez, Walker Ince and Emma McCrea.
The Matt Morris Memorial Scholarship was established by his family and friends to honor the life that he lived and what he meant to each of them. Matt grew up in Mason and graduated from Mason High School in 1987. He was a member of the livestock judging team at Texas Tech and he graduated with a degree in Ag Education. This scholarship is awarded annually to a student pursuing an ag related career. This year, the $1,000 Matt Morris Memorial scholarship was awarded to Molly Castleberry who excelled in FFA and will study to become a veterinarian. This year there are two students who each received the George and KK Brannies TSTC Scholarship for $1,000: Taryn McCrea, who will study aviation and Jonah Resendez, who will study Diesel Mechanics.
The Hill Country Youth Commercial Heifer Show & Sale Scholarship for $10,000 was awarded to Walker Ince and Carlton Schmidt. Caden Hershman was the winner of the laptop valued at $1500 provided by the Region X Education Service Center. The Mason County Farm Bureau awarded scholarships to Kalli Criswell, Jordan Lyles, Emma McCrea and Carlton Schmidt. John Preston Parrish was the recipient of the $1,000 Julie Gamel Memorial Scholarship awarded by her family. Mr. Scott Wesner, owner of the Mason County News, awards a scholarship to a member of the Branding Iron yearbook staff. You have all seen this gal on the sidelines of nearly every MHS event with a camera in her hand for the last few years. Shaylee Edmiston was the recipient of the $1,000 Wesner Media Scholarship Award.
Mrs. Carol Kothmann awards a scholarship to a student who excels in the field of ag mechanics in memory of her late husband who taught shop classes here at Mason High School for many years. This year, Jonah Resendez received the Eldon Kothmann Memorial Scholarship for $2,000. Kalli Criswell was the recipient of the MS & Meek Lane Doss Scholarship for $4,000 and the Distinguished Scholarship for $6,000 from Angelo State University. Chris Stevenson of Schreiner University presented scholarships totaling $76,000 to Chapman Brewer.
Emma McCrea is the recipient of the Bill Bagley Memorial Scholarship for $500 due to her excellence at the the state Visual Arts Scholastic Event. Tarleton University is awarding scholarships to two MHS seniors this year. Matthew Norman is the recipient of the Presidential Guaranteed Scholarship for $2,000, and Molly Castleberry is the recipient of the President’s Gap Scholarship for $4,000. Molly also received scholarships from Abilene Christian University for $76,000. On behalf of Texas A&M University, we were honored to present John Preston Parrish with the Aggie Corps Scholarship for $16,000, the Opportunity Scholarship for $1,000 and the Tuition Support Award for $500.
We have two students who will study at West Texas A&M. Shaylee Edmiston received the Incoming Freshman Scholarship for $4,000 and Hunter Bradley received a merit scholarship for $6,000 from West Texas A&M University. Annalise Cawley will attend East Texas Baptist University where she has been awarded the Christian Leadership Scholarship for $12,000, the Ministry Endowed Scholarship for $9,600, and the University Honor Scholarship for $32,000. Rylan Todd was the recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship for $100. Mark Hahn and Connie Stockbridge, Directors of Central Texas Electric Co-op, will present a $4,000 scholarship to Molly Castleberry.
Dewey Stockbridge grew up in Mason and graduated first from Mason High School and then from Texas A&M University. Dewey was the lead wildlife biologist at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area, south of Alpine in Brewster County. His office was 23,000 acres of wild Trans-Pecos habitat, where he helped manage and conserve the wildlife. His passion was for the habitat restoration and conservation efforts for the Desert Bighorn Sheep in the arid desert lands of far west Texas. The Dewey Stockbridge Memorial Scholarship was created by friends and associates of Dewey to honor his commitment to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This scholarship is awarded in hopes that the service of Dewey Stockbridge toward the restoration of the wild places of Texas will be remembered and admired for years to come. This year, the Dewey Stockbridge Memorial Scholarship for $4,000 was awarded to Carlton Schmidt.
The Mason County Area Wineries and Vineyards held the 7th annual scholarship fundraiser dinner in February to help provide scholarships for graduating seniors at Mason High School. The event draws guests from Mason and all over Texas. The generosity of the guests allows this group to once again provide three scholarships to our students. All of the applicants this year are outstanding, so it made choosing just three students a very difficult decision. This year's recipients of the scholarship are Scout Magnus, Emma McCrea and Angel Quintero. All of these students will receive $3,975.00.
Emma McCrea has been named a Minnie Stevens Piper Scholar and received a scholarship for $20,000. Dr. Shawn Miller awards a scholarship in honor of his grandmother Mrs. Sandy Miller. Mrs. Miller was a preschool teacher and a caregiver and was known to everyone in Mason for her kind heart. This year, the $500 Sandy Miller Memorial Scholarship went to Angel Quintero. The mission of the Terry Foundation is “to create a community of educated leaders who utilize their talents to strengthen the state of Texas and impact the world.” Based in Houston, The Terry Foundation is the largest private scholarship provider in the state of Texas. They award full ride, last dollar scholarships to Texas high school graduates for attendance at select Texas public universities. The Terry Foundation has impacted over 6,000 Scholars and their families since 1987, including many graduates of Mason High School. This year, there are two students in the Class of 2025 who will receive this award. John Preston Parrish and Caden Hershman. Their scholarships are valued at approximately $131,000.
Bert and Ann Mahnken presented the Mendy Mahnken Memorial Scholarship for Academics to John Preston Parrish and Rylan Todd and the Mendy Mahnken Memorial Scholarship for Athletics to Carlton Schmidt and Sutten Silerio. Jordan Lyles has been awarded a full ride scholarship to compete on the rodeo team at Montana State University. This includes the Montana State University Achievement Award for $64,000 and the Rodeo Scholarship for $80,000. Jordan was also offered a rodeo scholarship for $66,000 to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the Tarleton Academic Achievement Award for $12,000 and the Wharton County Junior College Rodeo Scholarship for $28,000.
As the largest philanthropic entity in the region with a unique mission and vision to improve health and wellness, Create Healthy is on a mission for health and wellness in the Texas Hill Country. The Create Healthy Foundation is awarding four scholarships to students who will pursue a career in the healthcare industry. Each of these students will receive the Create Healthy Scholarship for $4,000: Kaymie Alba, Emma McCrea, Rylan Todd and Conley Bownds. Conley also received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech for $16,000.
The Hext Volunteer Fire Department awarded two scholarships for $1500 each to Hunter Bradley and Jordan Lyles. Bobby Pierce of McCullough County Farm Bureau John Preston Parrish with a $2,000 scholarship. The Puncher Club awards scholarships to MHS athletes whose parents are members of the Puncher Club. So those of you who haven’t joined yet, make sure and pay your dues! This year, the $500 scholarships went to Emma McCrea, John Preston Parrish, Cannon Rabon and Carlton Schmidt.
It was an honor for MHS to present the Oscar Lee Graham and Linnda Graham Memorial Scholarships to Annalise Cawley and Sutten Silerio. Each of these students will receive $1,125. We were pleased to award the Texas Tech University Merit Scholarship for $24,000 to Caden Hershman. Caden also received scholarship offers from TCU totalling $318,000, Texas State for $24,000 and scholarships from the University of Houston for $16,000. Cannon Rabon is the recipient of the President’s Scholarship for $56,000 at the Colorado School of Mines. Donna Brandenberger presented the next award on behalf of Central Texas Master Gardener to Jordan Lyles for $1,000.
The Lola and Henry J. Hohn Memorial Scholarship is given by their children to honor their many years as educators at Mason ISD. This year, they awarded two scholarships for $1,000 to Kalli Criswell and Matthew Norman. Kimbrea Broyes was the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship from Hill County Telephone Co-op. Kalli Criswell is the recipient of the Region 10 High School Rodeo scholarship for $500. Rylan Todd has won a scholarship for $4,200 from the University of Texas at Arlington. He also received offers from Angelo State University for $16,000 and TCU for $120,000.
Hope Gomez and Dr. Monte Horne presented the scholarships on behalf of Frontera Clinic. The first scholarships for $250 went to Junior Gomez and Carlton Schmidt. And the next scholarship for $1,000 went to Rylan Todd to pursue further studies in the field of healthcare. Lights! Camera! Action! The Mason Youth Theater & Performing Arts awards scholarships each year to high school seniors who have participated in the One Act Play for at least three full years. This scholarship is in recognition of the tremendous hard work and dedication these young people have demonstrated as part of the theater program. They were pleased to offer a $2,500 scholarship to each of the following seniors: Rylan Todd, Matthew Norman and Walker Ince. Walker also received a scholarship offer from Texas Tech for $10,000.
The Mason Lion’s Club awards two different scholarships. The recipients of the Lion’s Club Service Student Scholarship are Molly Castelberry, Jordan Lyles and Angel Quintero. Each of these students will receive $833. The recipient of the $500 R. Clinton Schulze Scholarship for future educators is Kimbrea Broyles. The next scholarship is given in memory of Mason High School alumnae Matt Puckett. Matt was a graduate of Mason High School who died in 2004 in Anbar Province while serving his country during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The $500 scholarship was established by one of Matt’s classmates, Cody Geirisch, and is awarded to Case Weber. Rylan Todd was the winner of the $1,000 scholarship drawing given to a student who completed the internship program. The scholarship is funded by the Mason Community Advocates.
The Marnelle Ruthven Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 was presented to Kalli Criswell while the Glen and Lisa Ruthven Scholarship for $1,000 was presented to Emma McCrea. Tonya Brewer and Tammy Parrish present scholarships on behalf of the Band Boosters to Chapman Brewer, Annalise Cawley, Walker Ince, Matthew Norman, John Preston Parrish and Rylan Todd. The Gene Tobey Memorial Art Scholarship is given to a student who has shown an aptitude for and excellence in the fine arts. The scholarship is given in remembrance of Gene and his love for the community of Mason and the high school from which two of his daughters graduated. The recipient of the $500 Gene Tobey Scholarship is very much accomplished in fine art: Angel Quintero.
As the valedictorian of the class of 2024, Emma McCrea has received the Highest Ranking High School Graduate Tuition Exemption Award with an estimated value of $12,000. The San Angelo Area Foundation awards scholarships to students in West Texas and the Concho Valley. This year, two of our students have received scholarships. The JoAnn and Charles E Powell Academic Excellence Scholarship for $800 was awarded to John Preston Parrish. And the Randee Fawcett Endowment for $1,000 was awarded to Emma McCrea. One member of the class of 2025 has elected to serve our country as a member of the armed forces and as such will receive the GI Bill valued at $104,000. Richard Montellano has enlisted in the United States Army.
The winner of the $1,000 Capital Farm Credit scholarship was Carlton Schmidt. The children of Billy & Frances Bode have chosen to honor their parents’ years of service to the students of Mason and their belief in the transforming power of education by offering two $1000 scholarships to two Mason High School seniors. This year, the Billy & Frances Bode Scholarships were presented to Chantz Reed & Mitchell Underwood. Kaymie Alba was the winner of the $1,000 scholarship from the Mason County Round-up Queen’s Court. Kaymie was also offered the Schreiner University Achievement Scholarship for $48,000.
Amanda McMillan presented the Lilly Joy Gamel Scholarship for $3,500 to Angel Quintero.
For the last 16 years, an anonymous couple in Mason has given a scholarship to a deserving senior. This year, the recipient of the $2,500 award is Cannon Rabon. On behalf of the Mason County Republican Women’s Club, MHS was honored to present a scholarships for $2,000 to Carlton Schmidt and Case Weber. The Mason Tennis Association awards scholarships to senior tennis players who will each receive a $500 scholarship from MTA. Those tennis players were: Conley Bownds, Annalise Cawley, Kalli Criswell, Shaylee Edmiston, Scout Magnus, Emma McCrea and Carlton Schmidt. Coach Burns presented the final award of the evening, the Coach Melvin Burns Memorial Scholarship to Sutten Silerio and Hunter Bradley. Each of these students received $5,000.
MHS extends congratulations to these and to all of their graduates. In addition to these scholarships, there are several scholarship applications pending. We are awaiting notification of these, and we wish them the best of luck.
Mrs. Canfield wrapped up the evening with the following words, “I would like to extend a special thanks to all of the scholarship donors, to all of the presenters who are sitting in the audience and to all of the donors who could not be with us tonight. The faculty and administration of Mason High school is most grateful for your generous contributions to the continuing education of our students. I wish to extend our thanks to the parents of these students for their continuous support of their children in their past and future endeavors.”
