Each year, the Collinsville Education Foundation (CEF) aims to provide scholarships to Collinsville High School (CHS) graduating seniors to help them achieve their academic goals after high school. After all, these students need all available tools to meet today’s many challenges as they become responsible, productive citizens.
Scholarships are gathered through fundraising and memorial donations. The CEF scholarship committee thoroughly reviews each CHS senior’s goal-oriented application which requires a resumé, an essay and a letter of request including any family information, financial needs, grades and school and community involvement.
CEF scholarships have partially funded tuition to college, fire or police academies and trade schools since the mid-1990s. This year, the CEF was able to award scholarships to more than 30 students.
Emily Adalco received $3,750 from the CEF, which included a Sandra Steele Memorial Scholarship, Chamber of Commerce Scholarship and the Wayne & Shirley McCorkle Memorial Scholarship. Adalco will attend the University of Texas at Tyler to study health science.
Ryan Baker received $15,750 from the CEF, which included the Schindler Family Scholarship, CEF - High Ranking, Keep Collinsville Beautiful - Gary & Patty Roberts Scholarship, the Clay & Mildred Landers Memorial Scholarship, SouthState Bank Scholarship, CISD Employees Scholarship and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Baker will attend Simpson College to study pre-law.
Kendall Brandewie received $6,000 from the CEF, which included the George & Bertha Light Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence, the Margaret Kirkpatrick Educator’s Scholarship, CISD Employees Scholarship and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Brandewie will attend Bethel College to study health and human performance.
Brandon Cantu Castillo received $6,250 from the CEF, which included CAYSA, the KCB Tommy Vannoy Memorial Scholarship, Roger McDaniel Memorial Scholarship from McDaniel HVAC, CISD Employees Scholarship, Class of 1997 and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Castillo will attend University of Alabama to study public relations.
Liliana Cardenas received $1,750 from the CEF. She will attend Grayson County College to learn to become an ultrasound technician.
Russell Carney II received $2,950 from the CEF, which included the Cole McMillan Memorial Scholarship. Carney will attend Sam Houston State University in the fall to study civil engineering.
Ashley Carney received $2,750 from the CEF, which included the SouthState Bank Scholarship and the GP Plumbing Scholarship. Ashley will attend North Central Texas College to study interior design.
Elizabeth Carney received $5,150 from the CEF, which included the Cole McMillan Memorial Scholarship, Chamber of Commerce Scholarship, Jack Irelan Resiliency Scholarship and Band Boosters. Elizabeth will attend University of Texas at Tyler to study psychology.
Piper Carpenter received $2,750 from the CEF, which included the GP Plumbing Scholarship. Carpenter will attend Grayson County College in the fall to study health science.
Chazz Castellanos received $1,750 from the CEF. He will attend Grayson County College to study culinary arts.
Austin Crook received $2,850 from the CEF, which included the Noel & Jacquita Lewter Memorial Scholarship and the GP Plumbing Scholarship. Crook will attend the Aviation Academy to study aircraft mechanics.
Chad Davidson received $4,250 from the CEF, which included the Lost Pirates Scholarship, Wayne & Shirley McCorkle Memorial Scholarship and CISD Employees Scholarship. Davidson will attend the University of Arkansas to study exercise science.
Peyton Davidson received $4,700 from the CEF, which included Dennard’s Donny Ferguson Memorial Scholarship, Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club, Lost Pirates Scholarship and the Dan Ford Memorial Scholarship. Peyton will attend Grayson County College to study business.
Ayden Jade Durden received $4,000 from the CEF, which included the Keep Collinsville Beautiful - Don Graham Memorial Scholarship, Chamber of Commerce Scholarship, SouthState Bank Scholarship, CISD Employees Scholarship and the Class of 1997. Durden will attend Texas State University to study psychology.
Averi Reece Elvington received $4,600 from the CEF, which included the Noel & Jacquita Lewter Memorial Scholarship, Shannon Flanery Heart for Service Scholarship, Lost Pirates Scholarship and SouthState Bank Scholarship. Elvington will attend Tarleton State University to study kinesiology.
McKinna Green received $3,050 from the CEF, which included the Diane Hetsel Memorial Nursing Scholarship and Sandra Steele Memorial Scholarship. Green will attend Grayson County College to study health science.
Haesen Grimsrud received $2,250 from the CEF, which included funding from the Band Boosters. Grimsrud will attend East Texas A&M Commerce to study electrical engineering.
Sophia Hale received $5,000 from the CEF, which included the Wayne King Memorial Salutatorian Scholarship. Hale will attend the University of North Texas in the fall to study psychology.
Christian Harp received $1,750 from the CEF. Harp will attend the University of North Texas to study construction engineering.
Nathan Hicks received $2,750 from the CEF, which included the Roger McDanial Memorial Scholarship from McDaniel HVAC. Hicks will attend Texas Tech University to study construction engineering.
Trinity Johnson received $4,750 from the CEF, which included the Chamber of Commerce Scholarship and the Gwendolyn B Grady Memorial Scholarship. Johnson will attend Texas State University to study psychology.
Cynthia Juarez Nieto received $3,550 from the CEF, which included the Shannon Flanery Heart of Service Scholarship, Margaret Kirkpatrick Educator’s Scholarship, Student Council Scholarship and CISD Employees Scholarship. Nieto will attend Grayson County College to study early childhood education.
Cooper McMillan received $9,000 from the CEF, which included CEF - High Ranking, Cole McMillan Memorial Scholarship, Chamber of Commerce Scholarship and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. McMillan will attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University to study kinesiology.
Ashleigh Ortwoski received $2,750 from the CEF, which included funds from the Class of 1997 and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Ortowski will attend Grayson County College to study psychology.
Reese Patterson received $22,000 from the CEF, which included the Joe & Norma Turner Memorial Valedictorian Scholarship, Schindler Family Scholarship, Keep Collinsville Beautiful Scholarship, Clay & Mildred Landers Memorial Scholarship, Lost Pirates Scholarship, SouthState Bank Scholarship, Norman & Rebecca Denton Memorial Scholarship, Dennard’s Donny Ferguson Memorial Scholarship, CISD Employees Scholarship and the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Patterson will attend Texas Tech University to study biology.
Ariel Kimberly Perez Vargas received $2,250 from the CEF, which included funds from the Class of 1997. Vargas will attend Grayson County College to study business.
Nathan Perez received $2,250 from the CEF, which included funds from the GP Plumbing Scholarship. Perez will attend Grayson Community College to study welding.
Johnny Roberson III received $4,350 from the CEF, which included the Chamber of Commerce - Roger McDaniel Memorial Scholarship, Leroy Koerner Memorial Scholarship, Roger McDaniel Memorial Scholarship from McDaniel HVAC and GP Plumbing Scholarship. Roberson will attend the University of North Texas to study psychology.
Isaiah Smith received $2,750 from the CEF, which included funds from the Collinsville Pirates Quarterback Club. Smith will attend East Central University to study chemistry.
Rilee Stewart received $2,500 from the CEF, which included GEOTEX Women in STEM Scholarship and the SouthState Bank Scholarship. Stewart will attend Midwestern State University to study health science.
Abby Walters received $3,750 from the CEF, which included CAYSA, Clay & Mildred Landers Memorial Scholarship and CISD Employees Scholarship. Walters will attend Midwestern State University to study dental hygiene.
Nathanial Workman received $1,750 from the CEF. He will attend the University of North Texas to study business.
The 2025-2026 CEF Board of Trustees is appreciative to all who contributed funds to help support these students. This year’s board consists of Cladene Belcher, President; Sarah Ritchey, Secretary; Karen Westfall, Treasurer; George “Chico” Light; Dr. Cathy J. Weems; Kacy Patterson; Lindsay Wright; Hannah Lemoine; Johnny Lee Godsey; Carrie Crane, CISD School Board; and Matt Davenport, School Superintendent.
CISD liaisons include Kim Patterson, JH/HS Principal; Danny Bates, K-5 Principal; Lanette Swindle, Human Resources; Lana Borgman, JH/HS Counselor; Joe Don Woody, CHS Teacher; Raea Davenport, CHS Teacher; and Tina Butler, CISD Elementary Teacher.
The community’s financial support is vital to this organization’s efforts to help area high school graduates improve themselves by further training or education. Anyone looking to contribute a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) donation to the Collinsville Education Foundation (CEF) can reach out to board member Karen Westfall at [email protected] or 903-821-6243.
