SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 28, 2023
McElligott Memorial Scholarship announces
2023 recipients
Madison Orem
Zoey Gilbert
Megan Doherty
Eva Martin
Four Ione High School
alumni have been named
recipients of the 2023-24
Maryan L. McElligott Me-
morial Scholarship.
A $3,000 scholarship
has been awarded to Zoey
Gilbert, studying Nuclear
and Industrial Radiologic
Technologies at Colum-
bia Basin College; Megan
Doherty, studying Liberal
Arts at Oregon State Uni-
versity; Eva Martin, study-
ing Agricultural Business at
Eastern Oregon University;
and Madison Orem, study-
ing Animal Sciences and
Agricultural Business at the
University of Idaho.
The Maryan L. McElli-
gott Memorial Scholarship
fund has awarded scholar-
ships to Ione High School
alumni yearly since 1997.
The scholarship is open to
all college undergraduates,
with a preference for stu-
dents in their sophomore
year and above. The fund
was established in McElli-
gott’s memory after she lost
her battle with cancer.
Maryan McElligott was
an energetic community
volunteer recognized in
1992 as the Morrow County
Woman of the Year. She
placed a high value on com-
munity involvement. She
volunteered in the Ameri-
can Legion Auxiliary Ione
Post 95, schools and was a
20-year 4-H leader.
An avid baker, she was
well-known for her cakes
and taught cake-decorat-
ing classes through Blue
Mountain Community Col-
lege. Education was very
important to her. Maryan
and her late husband, L.J.
McElligott, who passed in
March 2020, raised eight
children, all graduating
from Ione High School and
college; five have received
graduate degrees.
“Preference is given
to students in their sopho-
more through senior years
of college. However, we
encourage students to apply
every year of their college
experience,” said Vince
McElligott, the committee
chair. The scholarship com-
mittee is comprised of Ione
residents Monica Swanson,
Linda LaRue and Anne
Morter, as well as Matthew
McElligott of North Pow-
der, OR, and Vince McEl-
ligott, of Houston, TX, two
of Maryan’s sons.
Scholarships are award-
ed to students who share
and demonstrate Maryan’s
values but may lack the fi-
nancial resources to pursue
their college education.
The following criteria are
used to select scholarship
recipients: high academic
achievement; demonstrated
character; and community,
family and school involve-
ment. The L.J. McElligott
family initially set up the
endowment fund in 1994,
and the Oregon Community
Foundation administers it.
The Maryan L. McElli-
gott Memorial Scholarship
fund makes annual awards
to graduates of Ione High
School enrolled or will be
enrolled in a full-time un-
dergraduate course at any
accredited post-secondary
institution, including out-
of-state institutions. Appli-
cants, including McElligott
scholarship recipients, may
reapply yearly if they meet
the eligibility requirements.
All Ione Community Char-
ter School graduates are en-
couraged to apply. Applica-
tions are available through
the Oregon Student Access
Commission at http://www.
oregonstudentaid.gov.
Shannon graduates
from U of M
The University of
Maryland has announced
that Shayveyanna D. Shan-
non of Boardman earned
a Bachelor of Science in
Criminal Justice from U
of M global campus in
spring 2023.
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Gibbs retires
-Continued from PAGE ONE secretary.
learning.
“I’ve learned a lot from
the kids themselves over the
years,” says Gibbs.
Some of her most spe-
cial moments are when
former students approach
her and tell her how much
the things she did and said
affected their lives.
“Those are pretty cool,”
she says.
She also says she’s had
colleagues over the years
who have become special,
life-long friends. At the
same time, she says it was
time to step away from
teaching.
“Teaching has changed
a lot. That’s not a good
or bad thing. It’s just a
change. But the timing
seemed right,” she says.
She also says she wants
to be free to visit her three
children, Garrett, Macy
and Keagan, as well as be
an involved grandma to
her one grandchild and any
more grandchildren who
eventually come along.
It’s something she might
not have had the time and
energy for as a teacher.
“Teaching is a really intense
career,” she says. “Pretty
intense.”
Of course, “retired”
doesn’t really mean “not
working.” Gibbs has now
taken on the part-time role
of Morrow County Fair
“This was a good step
down and a good change,”
says Gibbs. She adds that
she will still get a chance
to interact with former
students as fair secretary,
but she will also be able
to indulge her love for ag-
riculture and science. She
says she also likes that it
allows her to give back to
the community.
“Raising your kids in
a small town like this is
the only way to do it,” she
says, “but you can’t do it if
you just sit back and don’t
contribute.”
Gibbs also has a love
for horses and rodeo and
wants to be able to spend
more time pursuing that
passion.
“I’ve been a barrel rac-
er my entire life, so I want
to make time for more of
that.”
She also boards a few
horses on their property,
and says she loves to care
for the horses and takes
pride in working around
their home. She says she
and Jay may even try the
“Arizona thing” some time.
“I’m really going to
miss the kids. I loved my
career,” she concludes. “I
look forward to my new
transition in life.”
Nursery Sale
50% off all Annuals
20% off all Perennials,
Trees & Shrubs
Sale through July 1st, 2023
Morrow County Grain Growers Green Feed & Seed
Heppner - 242 W Linden Way - 541-676-9422