Sixty area students are sharing $156,000 in scholarships awarded by the Walton Electric Trust of customer-owned Walton EMC.

Out of more than 250 applicants, 32 students are receiving $4,000 each to help fund post-secondary education at a college or vocational-technical school. Another 28 are the recipients of runner-up scholarships of $1,000 each.

This year’s winners, who represent high schools from across the electric cooperative’s 10-county service area, share some important distinctions, said Ronnie Lee, CEO of Monroe-based Walton EMC.

“Each of these students exhibits an exceptional work ethic. They have successfully juggled academic rigors along with community service and extracurricular activities,” he said in announcing the 2018 recipients. “More important, these recipients have demonstrated triumph over a significant obstacle in their life — an accomplishment we are proud to acknowledge and reward.”

The Trust has awarded more than 500 scholarships worth over $1.1 million since the program began in 2009. The scholarships are funded by unclaimed refunds to former Walton EMC customer-owners. After all efforts are exhausted to find the rightful owners, the money goes into an endowment provided for by Georgia law.

Listed by school, students receiving a $4,000 Walton Trust Scholarship are:

Apalachee – Ashley Blackburn

Brookwood – Connor Bowler, David Dutton, Jenna Range, Hannah Taylor

George Walton Academy – Kaitlyn Rutledge, Casey Trammell

Gwinnett School of Mathematics and Science – Justice Bigot

Home School – Amber Burgess (Snellville), Anna Higgins (Oxford), Katerina Higgins (Oxford), Emily Sanders (Monroe)

Loganville Christian Academy – Myla Roberts

Monroe Area – David Colin Hendricks, Tyler Smedley

Morgan County – Grant Cofer

Nathanael Greene Academy – Joseph Crumbley

North Oconee– Laura Fletcher, Mason Sale

Oconee County– Will Worthington

Parkview– Grace Buckley, Emily Sandy

Providence Christian Academy – Hayden Grant

Shiloh – Tyra Quintanilla

Social Circle – Austin Malcom, Brittany Townsend

Walnut Grove – Karleigh Jane Castellow, Ansley Myers, Emily Myers, Haylee Peters, Trevor Queen, Duncan Watts

Westminster Christian Academy – Lauren McCollough