If you want to take the pulse of any community, look at the kids. They are the long-term future. This year the MFA Foundation is helping build the future for rural communities with some $345,000 in scholarships.

We call it forward thinking. Helping students with education is one of the surest ways to deliver competent and capable citizens to our communities. And that's what the MFA Foundation, a nonprofit, philanthropic organization, has been doing since 1965. Since then, the foundation has contributed financial assistance to more than 8,525 students. Most of these scholarships are for $1,200 and apply toward any college or university.

Scholarships are offered at high schools where participating MFA Agri Services Centers, MFA Oil Company Propane Plants, MFA Oil Company Bulk Plants or other MFA agencies are located.

The scholarships are awarded throughout MFA's trade territory, but a localcommittee selects each recipient.

Working together, this year the MFA Foundation and local MFA agencies handed out 289 scholarships worth about $345,000.

2002 Scholarship winners by last name:

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