Local Student Receives Statewide Scholarship

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Amy Moan                                                                                                 Heather Tweedy
Marketing and Public Relations Manager                                                  Media Representative
Phone: 402.426.6429                                                                               Phone: 402.301.7320
Email: amoan@gpcom.com                                                                        Email: heather@brightskyinteractive.com

May 15, 2012 (Hayes Center, Neb.) - Hayes Center resident Michael Bishop was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Great Plains Communications.

Bishop is a member of Hayes Center Public School’s Class of 2012 and will be attending Northeast Community College in the fall. He intends to enroll in the school’s Wind Energy program. Bishop hopes to stay in rural Nebraska and encourage the growth of wind energy programs in the state.

Bishop was heavily involved in academic, athletic and artistic pursuits in high school. He participated in football and basketball all four years of high school. He was team captain of both the basketball and track teams in his senior year. He was a member of the Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and Quiz Bowl throughout his entire high school career. He was also in the school’s choir and drama programs.

He is also very civically minded and served as a member of the Hayes County Rural Volunteer Fire Department.

The scholarship is part of a larger program aimed at supporting educational efforts in the communities Great Plains Communications serves. The company provides up to $20,000 worth of educational scholarships to students annually. The company's “Commitment to Our Schools” grant program provides $20,000 to schools to provide additional funding for special projects and initiatives.

Great Plains Communications is the largest independent telecommunications company in Nebraska and provides services solely to rural areas. It offers residential services such as digital phone including local and long-distance calling, as well as high-definition cable television. Broadband Internet is available in all Great Plains Communications’ communities through DSL and cable modem facilities or its partnership with Exede^SM Satellite Internet Services. The company also provides business services ranging from traditional voice and data products to the installation and support of large business networks. With 102 years of experience, the company currently serves 90 communities with 200 employees throughout Nebraska.