Jenna Simonton

Chatfield Valedictorian Awarded Brayman-Beach Scholarship
$5,000 Scholarship Award Presented Saturday at Colorado Credit Union

Jenna Simonton accepting her scholarship check from Mike Williams and John Dill

LITTLETON, CO - Chatfield High School's 2006 Valedictorian, Jenna Simonton, was presented the $5,000 Brayman-Beach College scholarship award on October 4, 2006 at Colorado Credit Union. Mike Williams, CEO of Colorado Credit Union and a member of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado Board of Directors, along with John Dill, president of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado and CEO of the Credit Union Association of Colorado, presented the check on behalf of the Brayman-Beach College Scholarship, a fund of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado.

"We are proud that one of our young members, and a member of our community, is the recipient of the Brayman-Beach Scholarship. Jenna is a hard working student who is very deserving of this honor," said Michael A. Williams, president of Colorado Credit Union. "She is a fine example of the high caliber of leadership we can look forward to in the future."

Jenna, who maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout all four years of her high school career, is a freshman this year at the University of Northern Colorado studying business administration.

"We see this scholarship as an investment in our youth, our community, and the future of the credit union movement," said Susan Brayman, Chair of Bellco Credit Union Board of Directors and Chair of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado. "We are pleased to help further this talented young woman's academic goals."

"Jenna was selected from a number of gifted high school students," added Carroll Beach, president and CEO of Credit Union Service Corporation. "In addition to her outstanding academic record, Jenna's contributions as a credit union employee and as an active member of our community stood out."

Jenna has also received such honors as Outstanding Science Student in 2006 and the Best Citizen Award during her participation in Colorado Columbine Girls State. In addition to having worked at Colorado Credit Union as both a teller and a file clerk, Jenna's other community activities include tutoring elementary school students and collecting food for a local homeless shelter.

"Credit unions provide young people in our communities with a unique opportunity to be involved in and learn about their financial institutions," said John Dill, president of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado and CEO of the Credit Union Association of Colorado.

In her Brayman-Beach scholarship application essay addressing the topic of how her leadership skills would enhance the effectiveness of a credit union in meeting the needs of underserved markets, Jenna said she hopes to help credit unions better serve college students and international consumers.

Colorado Credit Union
Colorado Credit Union has assets of $77m and offers full financial services to a growing membership from its offices located in Littleton and Denver, Colorado.

Brayman-Beach Scholarship Fund
The Brayman-Beach Scholarship is named in honor of two visionary leaders in the credit union movement, Susan J. Brayman and Carroll D. Beach. This unique scholarship opportunity celebrates their commitment to our community by investing in our youth and the future of the credit union movement. The scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students who are credit union members interested in pursuing a business degree. For more information, contact Amy Thomsen of Colorado Credit Union, 720-981-2330.

Credit Union Foundation of Colorado
The cooperative spirit of the credit union movement, "people helping people," is the cornerstone of the Credit Union Foundation of Colorado. The Foundation touches thousands of lives each year by supporting innovative programs ensuring the financial stability of the most vulnerable members of our communities. Since its inception in 1982, the Foundation has granted more than $550,000 to support community financial literacy and education programs and education and training for the credit union community in the furtherance of this mission. For more information, contact Eleni V. Sarris, Executive Director, Credit Union Foundation of Colorado and Wyoming, 720-479-3214.

 

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