Youngha Rissler, a senior at Kickapoo High School, is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from Mediacom Communications’ World Class Scholarship Program. The scholarship recognizes the Springfield resident for excellence in leadership and academics.
“Mediacom understands how important it is to invest in future leaders like Youngha,” said Senior Director of Area Operations at Mediacom, Steve Bennett. “I’m proud that our company commits financial support annually to talented local students with the Mediacom World Class Scholarship Program. We congratulate all Class of ’24 graduates, and particularly celebrate Youngha for her outstanding achievements.”
This year marks the 23rd consecutive year Mediacom has funded World Class Scholarships for students who live in areas where the Company delivers high-speed broadband and digital video services. Mediacom annually selects 60 graduating seniors who each receive scholarships to support their post-secondary education. Recipients must attend an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or technical school within the United States.
More than 1,800 Springfield Public Schools graduates received their high school diploma on May 18. The Class of 2024 earned $25,910,783 million in scholarships in total.
Kickapoo High School students received $10,312,116 in scholarships, the highest amount of all five Springfield public high schools.
The rest of the totals include $3,114,668 for Central High School graduates, $5,467,034 for Glendale graduates, $2,673,105 for Hillcrest students, and $4,343,860 for Parkview grads.
Mya Coalson, a 2024 graduate of Nixa High School, has been awarded the Junior League of Springfield’s distinguished Founders Fund Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. This scholarship is presented annually to a local young woman who has exhibited outstanding academic performance, community service involvement, and leadership potential.
Coalson graduated with a GPA of 3.98, earning places in math, Spanish, and National Honor Societies, among other academic extracurricular activities. She is also an athlete, excelling in volleyball, track, weightlifting and martial arts.
In addition to her academic achievements, she has dedicated more than 100 volunteer hours at the Mercy Orthopedic Hospital and has actively participated in leadership as an officer in the National Honor Society. Her involvement in community activities, such as fundraising for Isabel’s House and assisting in multicultural events at the Nature Center, showcases her compassion and commitment to helping others. As a lifeguard at White Water in Branson, she has rescued 25 individuals from drowning.
Coalson plans to pursue a pre-med course of study and participated in the medical track of the GO CAPS program for exceptional students during the 2023-2024 school year.
Each year, Branson Bank awards three, one-time, $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors, living in Taney and Stone County, who plan to further their education in the fields of finance or business.
The scholarships were awarded to Isacc Beebe, Hollister High School graduate who plans to attend Missouri State University to study accounting and become a CPA; Madilynn Cook, Forsyth High School, who plans to study business at MSU; and Sy Rosipal, Branson High School, who will study agribusiness at Missouri State University. Scholarship candidates were asked to provide proof of acceptance to an accredited college, a record of extracurricular activities and community involvement, a 500-word essay regarding character, values, and civic responsibility, and schedule an in-person interview.
Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, the sole supplier of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at 45 area healthcare facilities, urgently needs O negative blood.
The current supply is critically low, with less than one day’s worth of O negative blood available. Eligible donors are strongly urged to give immediately.
All donors will receive a custom, three-quarter sleeve Springfield Cardinals baseball T-shirt and two free tickets to an upcoming Springfield Cardinals home game, while supplies last.
To help avoid wait times, appointments are strongly encouraged. Donors can schedule an appointment at www.cbco.org/donate-blood.
Westlake Ace Hardware and The Salvation Army of Springfield are once again partnering to host their annual fan drive dedicated to helping local citizens stay cool during the approaching summer months.
The Fan Drive will continue through June 16.
Customers at the Westlake Ace Hardware store are encouraged to donate to the cause by rounding up their purchases at the register. All donations will go toward new box fans for The Salvation Army of Springfield.
Those who prefer to donate online can visit westlakehardware.com/fan-drive.
Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri recently received an Urgent Need Grant thanks to Ozarks Food Harvest’s $1 million investment in agency infrastructure in southwest Missouri.
The grant funding will purchase a refrigerator for LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home in Springfield, helping to sustain nutritional education and healthy habits for resident mothers and their children.
This Urgent Need Grant is part of The Food Bank’s multi-faceted strategy to address needs identified in Missouri’s Food Assistance and Hunger in the Heartland 2021 report conducted by the University of Missouri’s Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security.
LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home residents are often limited in their kitchen experience; this includes food and meal prep, utilizing equipment, food safety, following recipes, understanding proper nutrition and a healthy diet. Each of the residents sign up to cook dinner with the Nutrition and Kitchen Specialist nightly, during which they receive education, recipes, safety tips, and encouragement for their future. It is important for the women to gain the basic skills and knowledge needed to provide and care for her family when she transitions into her home after graduation from the LifeHouse program.
The city of Willard will have a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Better Together Playground on June 15. The playground, the largest inclusive playground in the area, is located in the Jackson Street Park, 222 W. Jackson St.
The ceremony will be held at noon, with family activities including free face painting, sno-cones and balloons.
The Better Together Playground boasts over 10,000 square feet of engaging activities, including spins, slides, swings, ziplines, and musical elements.
For more information, to make a donation, or to volunteer, contact Samantha Guinn, assistant director of parks, at assistdirector@cityofwillard.org.

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