by Dennis Dalman
editorial@thenewsleaders.com
A Sauk Rapids-Rice High School senior recently received a rare and singular honor – being granted one of two scholarships given by the Minnesota School Board Association.
McKinley Lain was presented a check for $3,000 by MSBA officials at the May 23 Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board meeting. Lain intends to study electrical engineering at South Dakota State University, starting this fall.
The scholarships honor students who have been involved with school governance. Lain, for example, served as a student liaison representative on the school board.
The other scholarship recipient is Taylor Nelson, a senior at Woodbury High School.
Lain is the son of Christina Bemboom and Doug and Kristi Lain..
The MSBA scholarship is a way to reward and encourage students to become involved in governance of their schools and highlights the importance of having locally elected school-board officials, said MSBA Executive Director Kirk Schneidawind.
“School boards are there for one reason — to help their students succeed,” Schneidawind said. “Our organization wants to encourage boards to have student input on decisions that affect their education. This scholarship is one way to reward students who participate as ex-officio members of their board.”
More than 90 of the 333 public school districts in Minnesota have some form of student school-board-member representation.
McKinley Lain, who was named 2015 Sauk Rapids Storm Homecoming King, was recently named as one of only two Minnesota students to receive a $3,000 scholarship from the Minnesota School Board Association. Next to Lain is Sauk Rapids Homecoming Queen Patricia Cazalvilla Torres.
