Two area high school students have been awarded two co-op-sponsored scholarships as part of the 2021 scholarship program. Hitchcock-Tulare senior Cullen McNeil has been selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship from Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Groton senior Tessa Erdmann will receive a $500 scholarship from Northern Electric Cooperative.

McNeil is the student body president at Hitchcock-Tulare High School, has a 4.133-grade point average, and has been on the honor roll for all four years of high school. McNeil is also a letter winner in football, wrestling, track, cross country, and basketball.

“This scholarship will help me pay for my future education as I attend Black Hills State University next fall. I will be paying for whatever loans and scholarships don’t cover, so receiving this scholarship will help me a lot,” McNeil said.

McNeil plans to pursue a degree in outdoor education at BHSU next fall. He hopes to work for a guide service and take clients on outdoor excursions.

Erdmann plans to pursue a degree in agribusiness at South Dakota State University. The Groton High School senior has been heavily involved with her local 4-H and FFA chapters in the Groton area. In December, she was the winner of the Big Idea Competition in the ‘Agriculture Innovation’ category for her business, ‘Erdmann Precision Field Analysis.’ Erdmann said the Northern Electric scholarship will help her pursue her future career.

“I look forward to a career in an ag-related field such as crop insurance, or ag business management,” Erdmann said. “I am focused on a role that allows me to proudly work alongside others within South Dakota agriculture and that allows me to influence others in a meaningful way.”

Both Erdmann and McNeil will receive their scholarships when they enroll in school in the fall.