Bingham County leaders funding scholarship

Leaders in Bingham County are wanting to set up a scholarship fund for local high school students.

The mayors of Aberdeen, Blackfoot, Firth, Shelley and the Chairman of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes have teamed up for this.

They say scholarships provide more than just financial aide.

“Help me learn more, and like be more into it because then I’d be like there’s people wanting me to do good, like I need to do good like it’ll motivate me more,” said Coral Arens a student at Snake River High.

“It says I’m of value and people want to invest in me. And you can take that a long ways. Our scholarships won’t be great big, they won’t fund a four year education, but it sends a message to these students that they have value,” said Blackfoot Mayor Paul Loomis.

Loomis knows this from personal experience. He said he wasn’t a very good student in high school, and he didn’t start to succeed until college.

“I received several small scholarships and the message that sent to me was, ‘Paul, you can do this.’ And that really motivated me to go on,” said Loomis.

The mayoral scholarship hasn’t been awarded yet. A scholarship will be provided to six students- one from each high school in the county.

The mayors are still raising money. There will be a dinner and auction at the Blackfoot Elk’s Lodge on April 11.