CEO’s Message – June 2025

Commitment to Community & Our Future

These are strange days; confusing, frustrating, astonishing days for all of us. Health experts tell us that in times of uncertainty and unease, look for the good. Find reassurance. Lay off the doomscrolling and seek out the positive.

1 of the things I look forward to every Spring is our Columbia REA scholarship program. Any shadows that may be darkening my thoughts are always quickly and completely lifted by the dazzling achievements and the bright futures of our local graduating seniors. This year is no exception.

I had the good fortune to meet our 2025 scholarship recipients at our Annual Meeting last month. What a treat! We awarded 3 academic scholarships and 1 line worker scholarship to 4 local seniors. 1 will graduate from Walla Walla High School this month, 2 from DeSales, and 1 from Dayton High School. Of the last 12 kids to receive Columbia REA scholarships, 7 different area high schools have been represented: Walla Walla, College Place, Columbia-Burbank, DeSales, Dayton, Pomeroy, and Waitsburg. There is indeed greatness, positivity, and light everywhere in our valley.

If there is a consistent thread that connects these kids (and all of our scholarship applicants; I wish we could recognize all of them), it is community involvement. The grades are all great. The school activities are inspiring and the sports achievements stellar, but after all that, when it would seem to be time to go home and rest or maybe do homework, comes the involvement in their church, the early mornings of 4H and FFA, the evening music lessons and recitals, the volunteer work here, there and everywhere. The most impressive achievements displayed by these kids, and so many others, are the things they do after the required, expected, normal kid stuff.

It’s inspiring, especially in times like these, when pessimism and negativity can creep into our lives and our thoughts so easily. These are not naïve kids who “are just kids” and “don’t know what it’s like out there.” These are young adults who know that what they are doing is difficult and not the standard, and they know why they are doing it. Each of them speaks first and foremost of helping others, supporting their communities, and giving back.

I hope we can all be inspired by them. I also hope that these young people can harness and share the enthusiasm, idealism, and passion that fuels them.

Right now, the world needs grown-ups to be more like these kids, and for these kids, and the millions of others out there like them, to never learn to be less.

Best,
Scott Peters
CEO