Musicians set the tone during Echo Oktoberfest on Oct. 20, 2018. The 2023 event will feature Pendleton’s Oompah Brass Band and Fat Fox, of the Tri-Cities, on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Echo Ridge Cellars.

ECHO — The Kiwanis Club of Echo recently awarded a total of $13,500 in scholarships to seven graduating Echo High School seniors. The awards were presented May 31 during the school’s annual senior banquet.

“These seven students have not only represented themselves very well but, truly reflect genuine support of family and the various staff at Echo schools,” Mike Duffy, acting committee chairman, said. “We are honored to coordinate and present these well-deserved awards.”

Lillian Wallis, who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average, was awarded $3,000. She plans to attend Grand Canyon University and is interested in pursuing master’s level credentials in forensic science and criminal investigation.

Mason Murdock, who received $2,500, has been active in the Umatilla County Fair and the Pendleton Junior Livestock Show since the fourth grade. He plans to attend Blue Mountain Community College and continue working in the field of agriculture.

On the honor roll all four years, Morgan Hendrix received $2,000 to help further her education. Her goal is to attend BMCC, Eastern Oregon University and the University of Oregon to prepare for work as an early childhood special education teacher.

Also, Cidney Estes, Kyla Larson, JoLee Palmeteer and Kyndra Zumwalt were each awarded $1,500.

During her high school career, Estes also took college courses through BMCC and Oregon Institute of Technology — all while competing in rodeo, winning seven all-around trophy saddles. She’s heading to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, to study agribusiness and finance.

During her senior year, Larson also held down a job and enrolled in college courses. In addition, she served as a school representative on the Echo City Council. She plans to study psychology and criminology at the University of Idaho.

Described as a dedicated student and exemplary young leader, Palmeteer gained exposure to her chosen career field by assisting at a Condon dental clinic. She will attend Columbia Basin College to prepare for work as a dental hygienist.

Zumwalt juggled her busy high school schedule with sports, community service, a part-time job and college courses. With a goal of working as an X-ray technician, she will study at BMCC, Linn-Benton Community College or EOU.

Chartered in March 2007, the Echo Kiwanis established its scholarship program a couple of years later. Its success, Duffy said, is attributed to the generosity of local citizens and businesses who support the annual Echo OktoberFest and January scholarship mailing campaign.

For more information, search echo.kiwanisone.org. For questions, email Duffy at echo.heritage@gmail.com.