Aberdeen graduate awarded Careers in Natural Resources scholarship

What started as an opportunity for students to see natural resources work in progress has spread to other schools, and assistance with students who want to follow through with careers in the industry.

Grays Harbor Youth Works (GHYW) announced that they were recently able to award their first “Careers in Natural Resources” scholarship to an Aberdeen graduate. 

According to a release from the local organization, Jacob Allison of Aberdeen High School was selected as first the awardee of the $1000 scholarship.

GHYW told KXRO that in 2020, Executive Director Cheryl Brown was approached by Pacific Education Institute to see about getting students from Wishkah Valley School out to see what Rayonier Lumber was doing in the lot next to their school. 

Following that learning, the idea spread and five schools were able to participate in what GHYW calls, “Careers In Natural Resources Excursions” in 2022/23.

The program included Aberdeen, Harbor Learning Center, North Beach, Wishkah Valley and Lake Quinault schools attending trips into the forest to learn about and experience different jobs in forestry. 

Added this year was a trip into the past (going to the Polson Museum with John Larsen) as well as the future (GH College Forestry class with Patrick Mahoney). 

Jacob was required to complete an application, attend an interview, write two essays, and be registered as a forestry student at Grays Harbor College to be eligible for the scholarship. 

On Monday, June 26th at 11:30am, Jacob will be awarded the scholarship with representatives from Rayonier, Weyerhaeuser, Grays Harbor Youth Works and Aberdeen High School. 

Grays Harbor Youth Works was founded in 2013 with the help of community residents concerned about the well-being of the youth in Grays Harbor County, with a goal of providing 15–19-year-old high school students with scholarships and internship opportunities.