Southwest Montana News

Carroll College has allocated $158,000 in scholarships to 14 recipients through two prominent scholarship programs: the Elsie P. Corette Memorial Scholarship and the Roy F. Simperman Math, Science, and Nursing Scholarships. The awards, which target pre-med, nursing, math, and science majors, will support students during the 2025–2026 academic year.

Five students from Montana, all aspiring medical professionals, were awarded the Corette Scholarship, created in memory of Elsie Corette by her husband, John E. Corette, and their children. The scholarship has been sustained since 1994 by Roy F. Simperman, a Carroll College alumnus and former Chairman and CEO of Semaphore Corporation. Simperman funded the scholarships in honor of his former father-in-law, John Corette.

The 2025 Corette Scholarship recipients are Katharina Fihre, Kaiden Horner, Gina Leveque-Zapata, Heather Magera, and Sadie Filius. These scholarships focus heavily on financial need and potential success in medical school, and since its inception, the program has awarded around $1,509,000 to more than 218 aspiring medical students.

This year, six nursing students and an equal number of math and science students received the Roy F. Simperman Nursing Scholarship and Simperman Math and Science Scholarship. The total support from the Simperman scholarships since establishment 16 years ago amounts to $1,474,500, assisting 128 students in achieving their professional goals.

The beneficiaries of the Simperman Scholarships for this year include Brynn Bohrer, Nicole Nau, Luci Horne, Abigail Carney, Ashlynn Belleghem, Alexis Cook, Samantha Labrum, Allison Streekstra, and Zoey Wickens. Each scholarship is determined based on academic merit and financial need, aiming to make education at Carroll College as affordable as public institutions in Montana.

The college highlighted the significance of these scholarships, with Dr. John Cech, President of Carroll College, emphasizing their impact. “We are honored to carry forward the incredible legacy of Roy F. Simperman,” he stated, acknowledging the ongoing support of the Simperman family. Dr. Cech noted, “These scholarships do more than assist with tuition—they empower students to pursue meaningful careers in medicine, science, and nursing, where they can give back to their communities."

The legacy of these scholarships continues to bolster Carroll College's mission, ensuring that Montana students have opportunities to thrive in medical and STEM fields. The generosity of both the Corette and Simperman families has fostered a foundation for numerous students to achieve their professional aspirations in service of their communities.