GBRA Awards Scholarships To Basin Seniors

The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district.

SEGUIN – Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) officials have awarded three $2,000 academic scholarships and three $1,000 academic scholarships to area students within GBRA’s 10-county district.

The scholarships, presented annually, are part of GBRA’s Employee Volunteer Program. The scholarship recipients and details are listed below by city.

San Marcos

Jesus Alvarez graduates as a first generation student from San Marcos High School in Hays County.

Jesus will be attending the University of Texas at San Antonio, working toward a degree in biology, before pursuing dental school.

In high school, Jesus was a member of the National Honor Society and Key Club. He has volunteered with the Hays County Food Bank.

Canyon Lake

Alexa Beard graduates from Smithson Valley High School near Canyon Lake. She plans to attend Texas State University in San Marcos to study nursing.

In high school, Alexa was a member of the Varsity Dance Team and the Family and Consumer Science class and was on the A/B Honor Roll.

She has volunteered with the highway clean-up, blood drive, homeless shelter, senior center, and community center.

Alexa has also held employment positions with VIP Gymnastics, Clear Springs Restaurant, San Pedro Church, and Walmart.

Kaleigh Lawson graduates from Smithson Valley High School near Canyon Lake. She plans to attend Texas Tech University to study agribusiness and agricultural communication.

In high school, Kaleigh participated in National Honor Society, 4-H Club, and Future Farmers of America Club (FFA).

Her achievements include several Comal County Junior Livestock Show Association Senior Showmanship Awards, Comal ISD Superintendent Student of the Month Award, placing multiple times in state and national shooting championships, the 4-H Gold Star Award, and Texas FFA Lone Star Degree.

In 2016, Kaleigh exhibited the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2016 Houston Livestock Show.

New Braunfels

Melanie Olguin graduates from Canyon High School in New Braunfels. She will be attending the Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, where her goal is to study nursing with a focus in emergency medicine.

In high school, Melanie was a National Hispanic Scholar. Melanie was involved in the Varsity Colorguard and won the 2015 Texas Educational Colorguard Association Championships in the Scholastic A division.

Lockhart

Laurel Eeds graduates from Lockhart High School in Caldwell County. She plans to attend Texas State University to study sonography.

While in high school, Laurel participated in cross country, track and field and competed at the state level in powerlifting.

She has also volunteered with her church, the local animal shelter, and held membership with Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.

Seguin/Geronimo

Kolin Ploetz graduates from Navarro High School in Guadalupe County. He plans to attend Angelo State University to study agribusiness.

In high school, he studied advanced animal science, advanced soil science, fabrication of metal and design, and biology. He has worked with Becker’s Feed and Fertilizer, Laubach Bowling Alley, and in chicken processing.

GBRA Communications and Education staff disseminates press releases to local media and posts accordingly on the press release page of GBRA’s website: www.gbra.org.

Information also is shared on GBRA’s social media accounts through Instagram and Twitter “@GBRATX” and Facebook at “GBRA of Texas.”

The GBRA was established by the Texas Legislature in 1933 as a water conservation and reclamation district.

GBRA provides stewardship for the water resources in its 10-county statutory district, which begins near the headwaters of the Guadalupe and Blanco rivers, ends at San Antonio Bay, and includes Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Calhoun, and Refugio counties.