Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES— Richland R-IV senior Brittany Latham was awarded a $500 Cole-Mahan Scholarship. Latham has been extremely involved in her school, participating in basketball, softball, tennis, National Honor Society, MU Alpha Theta and Future Farmers of America. As a volunteer, Latham worked with the Thanksgiving food drive, Project Richland, City of Lights, the First Baptist Church Veterans’ dinner, assisted with youth basketball and the local spelling bee.

Latham has been accepted to the University of Missouri – Columbia Early Assurance program for pre-pharmacy. After two years of pre-pharmacy prerequisites, she plans to attend the university’s pharmacy school and finish with a doctorate degree in six years. After completing her degree, Latham plans to return to Richland and work with the local pharmacy to help her community. In her application essay, Latham wrote: “I’ve heard people tell our pharmacist that they trust him more than their medical physician. They truly value his opinion and take what he says to heart. I want to be a trusted professional that has a positive impact on others and play a vital role in their lives. … This scholarship would enable me to focus on my studies, so I can be the strongest, most intellectual person to make my family, school, and community happy, healthy people.”

The Cole-Mahan scholarship was established through the Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) and Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO).

MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of CFO in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Vicki Lange of Osage County serves as president of MRCF.

Currently, MRCF has 60 funds totaling over $1.36 million.

CFO is a public foundation serving the Missouri Ozarks. The foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region through resource development, community grant-making, collaborations and public leadership. Formed in 1973, CFO has since grown to include 49 affiliate community foundations and more than 3,200 charitable funds totaling approximately $285 million in assets, as of June 30, 2017.

MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation and providing the initial investment to create a grant program, provides staff support to MRCF.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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