Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
One of five from WA recognized
ODESSA - A Ritzville boy who is graduating from the high school here was one of five students in the state to be named a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Jacob Scrupps, who carries a 4.0 grade point average and plans to study ag systems management at the University of Idaho, was named a Presidential Scholar in CTE Thursday, May 9.
Scrupps joins Ashwin Joshi of Southridge, Lexi Molnar of Goldendale, Siddharta Dylan Pant of Lakes and Kosha Upadhyay of Bellevue as the five students named from Washington.
"I was very surprised. It's really a huge honor," Scrupps said. "I was surprised to even be a semifinalist."
Scrupps was chosen based on accomplishments in CTE fields. At Odessa High, he took an advanced science research class where he took on a project of turning a limestone he found in his father's wheat field, grinding it up and converting it into wheat fertilizer.
"It ended up increasing the yield that year," he said.
Scrupps was nominated by FBLA advisor Terri King and science teacher Jeff Wehr, while also applying himself.
"He has a strong background in agriculture," King said. "He's also an FBLA Rockstar...he has great character, service and leadership."
In turn, Scrupps nominated King as a Distinguished Teacher as part of the Presidential Scholars program.
"I'm so thankful for her and all she's done for me over the last five or six years," Scrupps said. "She's one of the big reasons I'm so successful."
Scrupps will be recognized with a Presidential Scholars medallion and an online recognition program.
In addition to Scrupps' personal accomplishment, the FBLA chapter also learned last week that it was awarded a $7,430 Lead4Change grant to replace leaky plumbing at Old Town Hall.
FBLA has been quite influential in Old Town Hall renovations, and Scrupps and Zach Claassen were the students that applied for the Lead4Change grant.
"Both of these things remind me that students in a small, rural community can compete with any student in the nation," King said. "They're not limited by a small town education...they can accomplish anything."
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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