The Centra Foundation just handed out scholarships to 29 graduating high school seniors, and honestly, the timing couldn’t be better.
Between skyrocketing tuition costs and the price of, well, everything, these students are getting a serious boost.
Through the Loretta M. Burd Scholarship Program, each winner receives $2,500 to put toward their education. The program works like this: one graduating senior per Centra Credit Union location gets the award each year.
Want to see if someone from your area made the list? Head over to https://www.centra.org/centra-foundation/scholarships/ for the complete roster of winners.
It’s Not Just for Fresh Graduates
Plot twist: high schoolers aren’t the only ones cashing in. The Centra Foundation also awards $2,500 scholarships to adult and non-traditional students—you know, the folks who’ve decided to level up their careers or finally chase that degree they put on hold. This year’s adult scholarship winners are Sophia Ramirez, Hyrum Croft, Roman Ramirez Herrera, Tory Hatton, Barbara Handt, and Yasmin Vargas. The Foundation is giving a special shoutout to Shirley Shea for her support of the adult scholarship program.
And here’s something new: for the first time this year, the program added two scholarships specifically for students heading into technical trades or certification programs. Those awards went to Cierra Newcomb from Columbus and Joseph Gray from Seymour—because not everyone’s path runs through a four-year university, and that deserves recognition.
The Woman Behind the Name
The scholarship honors Loretta M. Burd, who spent 47 years—yes, you read that right, 47 years—working at Centra Credit Union before retiring. Talk about dedication. The program carries her name and her legacy: helping local students access college or technical school education without drowning in debt.
So what does it take to win? The selection committee looks at academic performance, sure, but they’re also interested in the whole picture. School and community involvement, work history, and a short essay on financial literacy all factor into the decision. Translation: they want well-rounded students who show up for their communities and aren’t afraid of hard work.
Giving Back Isn’t Just a Tagline
The scholarship program is just one piece of how Centra Foundation and Centra Credit Union support their members and communities. To put it in perspective, in 2025 alone, they’ve given back more than $460,000. That’s nearly half a million dollars flowing back into the places they serve.
Not too shabby for a credit union that clearly believes in putting its money where its mission is.