Non-Profit
This May, the Park County Community Foundation (PCCF) awarded seven scholarships memorializing two renowned Park County residents. Five students received the Barbara Thronson Scholarship representing Shields Valley and Park High Schools. One student from Park High School received the David Gibson Memorial Scholarship, while a Shields Valley High School student was awarded both scholarships.
The Thronson scholarship commemorates Barbara Thronson, a fourth-generation Montanan, life-long learner, teacher, and administrator. With a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in special education, she served most of her career in rural schools in Montana and across the west. In addition to being an educator, Mrs. Thronson also helped run an Angus cattle and quarter-horse ranch in the Paradise Valley.
The 2026 recipients of the Barbara Thronson Scholarship are Jorja McCormick and Noah Craig from Park High School as well as Shayne Taylor, Teah Vennes, and Alicia Hunt from Shields Valley High School. The scholarship provides a one-time $2000 award for students planning to attend a post-secondary institution as a full-time student in the Fall of 2026.
The David Gibson Memorial Scholarship was established by his family in 2020 to honor his legacy by supporting Park County students wishing to attend a vocational or trade school. A graduate of Springdale School and Park High, Mr. Gibson was an inventor, a mechanical genius, and a fixer of all things who even held a patent on the Gibson Round Bale Feeder. He always had a project going or was helping others with their cattle, fencing, farming, and anything else that he knew needed doing.
The 2026 recipients of the David Gibson Scholarship are Gage Bober of Park High School and Teah Vennes of Shields Valley High School. Each student will receive a $1000 contribution towards their education in the trades.
"It's an honor to partner with such generous families who celebrate their loved ones by supporting the educational dreams of Park County's hard-working students," said Keva Ward, program manager at PCCF.
Both scholarships are administered by the Park County Community Foundation. In keeping with the Foundation’s mission of inspiring investment and leadership to cultivate resilient communities, the scholarship program brings qualified students together with individuals who care about education to enable more students to reach their educational goals.
“It is a special time for these families to be able to memorialize their loved ones every spring with these scholarships,” said Gavin Clark, executive director at PCCF. “We are thrilled, alongside the Thronson and Gibson families, at the opportunities awarded to these students to begin the next stage of their education. We wish them the very best in their individual journeys.”
Park County families interested in establishing a scholarship or memorial fund are invited to contact Keva Ward, PCCF program manager at keva.ward@pccf-montana.org.
About The Park County Community Foundation:
For the love of Park County, we inspire investment and leadership to cultivate resilient communities. Over the past 19 years, the Park County Community Foundation has grown into the largest foundation focused solely on the livability of Park County, granting more than $20 million locally. The result of true collective effort, PCCF has strengthened the community’s way of coming together and solving local challenges. Learn more at: https://www.pccf-montana.org/