Each year, Premier Members Credit Union recognizes high school seniors with proven academic, community involvement, and extracurricular activities, by providing higher-education scholarships. The credit union awards $35,000 in scholarships annually, directly to individuals, and through local school foundations and nonprofits within our communities.
Through its direct Premier Members scholarship program, the credit union awards two, $5,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are continuing to technical school, or onto a two or four year college or university. Premier Members received fifty applications this year and its scholarship committee had a tough time choosing who to award the scholarships. This year the two recipients were Elizabeth (Lizzie) Schmidt and William Bensler.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Schmidt will attend Colorado State University to major in Human Development and Family Studies. Following that, she plans to complete graduate school and become a licensed occupational therapist. Lizzie was born and raised in Colorado and is graduating from Frederick High School. Throughout her high school career, Lizzie has participated and led in Student Council, National Honor Society, and the volleyball and swim teams. Outside of school, when volunteering and her job at a local restaurant are not occupying her time, Lizzie cherishes her time spent with those she cares about. She enjoys baking, dancing and singing carelessly, creative writing, ice skating, hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and
stargazing while thinking about how crazy it is to be alive.
William (Will) Bensler will attend Colorado School of Mines in Golden and will be studying mechanical engineering with a minor in biochemistry. Will is graduating from Fairview High School in Boulder. In high school, Will has played the oboe and saxophone in the Fairview marching band and would like to continue to play music in college and be part of the marching band there as well. He also played baseball, having just finished his high school baseball season. His family has lived in Colorado for 18 years and Will is the oldest of three children and the first to attend college. His house is filled with two sisters, two dogs, two cats, one bird, and a hamster. Will is looking forward to college this Fall.