The 23rd Annual North Wind/Idaho State University Tom Sherwood Scholarship was recently awarded to two Idaho State University (ISU) students, Jennings Leavell and Abigail Slade, for $4,426 each. In addition to the Sherwood scholarship, North Wind is also proud to announce the winner of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Scholarship Endowment, which helps support and inspire ISU students to pursue further education in the fields of STEM. The second annual ISU STEM Scholarship was awarded to Jordan Waite for $2,161.
“North Wind is honored to continue to strengthen our collaboration with ISU, supporting scholarships that empower students in STEM fields. We believe that investing our resources and dedication into this initiative is vital for nurturing the future leaders of our industry,” said North Wind Group President/CEO, Rich Driggs.
Jennings is a graduate student at ISU, obtaining his Master of Science degree in Geology. Deeply connected to nature with both sets of grandparents having worked in agricultural fields, Jennings said days and nights on rivers, in mountains, and in the ocean provide both inspiration for and respite from the challenging pursuit of a career studying natural science for him. “Receiving the Thomas R. Sherwood scholarship will allow me to attend IsoCamp 2024 to supplement my academic coursework and pursue my research interests,” Jennings stated in his essay.
Abigail is a freshman at ISU, obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a concentration on ecology and conservation science. Abigail says she is “eager to learn about all forms of life, understanding how they function and the diverse ecosystems in which they thrive.” Studying ecology at ISU is helping Abigail fulfill her “childhood passion” and she “hopes to one day aid in the success of ecosystems in nature,” she stated in her essay.
Tom Sherwood was one of North Wind’s first employees and was the Geosciences Department Manager until his untimely death in 2000. He was a skilled outdoorsman with a passion for geology and the environment. He graduated from ISU in 1992 with degrees in geology and biology. The scholarship endowment was established by North Wind with contributions from the company, Tom’s friends and colleagues, and proceeds from previous golf tournaments.
