Park Hills - Leadington Chamber of Commerce Celebrates 2025 Scholarship Recipients

PARK HILLS, MO – April 29, 2025 – The Park Hills - Leadington Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the recipients of its 2025 scholarships! This year, we had the pleasure of awarding substantial scholarships, each exceeding the initially planned $500 amount, to three outstanding Central High School seniors: Haley Stephens, Luke Geile, and Colin Hulsey.

The awards were presented during the Annual Central Academic Banquet held on Monday, April 28th. Representing the Chamber were our President, Brenda Jordan, and Mineral Area College President & Chamber Board Member, Dr. Joe Gilgour, who presented the scholarships to these deserving students.

We were incredibly impressed with this year's applicants! Each recipient has demonstrated academic excellence, strong community ties, and clear aspirations for their future.

Meet Our 2025 Scholars

• Haley Stephens: Haley is graduating from both Central High School and Mineral Area College this May, earning her Associate's of Arts in Teaching concurrently with her high school diploma. She plans to attend Central Methodist University at the Mineral Area College campus starting this fall to pursue a Bachelor's in Elementary Education. Haley aims to work as a Paraprofessional while studying, leveraging a program at CMU that recognizes this experience. She currently works at Lix Frozen Custard and is passionate about becoming a teacher to positively impact her community and help students develop essential life skills.

• Luke Geile: Luke is described as a passionate and hardworking student focused on personal and academic growth. His goal is to earn a degree in mathematics with an emphasis on secondary education. Luke aspires to become a high school math teacher, sharing his enthusiasm for the subject and helping students develop strong problem-solving abilities in a positive learning environment. He hopes to contribute to the community by becoming an inspiring educator and engaging with local organizations.

• Colin Hulsey: A lifelong resident of Park Hills, Colin enjoys working summers as a lifeguard at The REEF community pool. He plans to utilize his A+ Scholarship funds to earn an Associate of Arts in Pre-Engineering from Mineral Area College, where he is already enrolled. Following his time at MAC, Colin aims to transfer to Missouri S&T to pursue a graduate degree in a STEM field, hoping to become the first in his family to achieve this. Colin is committed to his hometown and hopes to eventually own a home and maybe even a business in Park Hills.

About the Chamber Scholarship

The Park Hills - Leadington Chamber of Commerce Scholarship program is made possible through the generous support of our Elite Partners, donations from dedicated Chamber Investors, and proceeds from various Chamber fundraising events throughout the year. These scholarships aim to support local students as they pursue higher education and contribute to the future success of our community.

Congratulations once again to Haley, Luke, and Colin! We wish them the very best in their future academic and professional endeavors!


Pictured left to right, Brenda Jordan, Haley Stephens, Luke Geile, Colin Hulsey, & Dr. Joe Gilgour.