$10,000 in scholarships awarded to women in leadership

Authorities at Cabela’s announced on April 5 that they are teaming up with officials at The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation to award scholarships to Nebraska students.

There will be four Cabela’s Women in Leadership Scholarships worth $10,000 awarded to female Nebraska high school graduates, according to Cabela’s officials.

“The Cabela’s Women in Leadership Scholarships are part of an initiative by Cabela’s leaders to promote young women to leadership positions within the organization,” they said.

The officials said that those students that graduate this spring with plans to attend college in the fall of 2013 will be awarded with the first scholarship opportunities.

The college or university that the student wishes to attend does not determine eligibility because the scholarship can go towards any higher education institution.

The students will receive $2,500 per year during their four years of schooling and will also be granted the opportunity to be mentored by women who hold leadership position at the Cabela’s Corporation.

Cabela’s officials said that applications for the scholarships are due April 20 and can be found at either http://www.educationquest.org/scholarshipquest or at The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation website at http://www.thehugefoundation.org.

“These are extraordinary scholarships,” said Jack Siemsen, President and CEO of The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation via Cabela’s staff. “They not only provide financial support to young women, but they also give these students special access to Cabela’s. “This includes opportunities to be mentored by professionals at Cabela’s as well as receive internships and career counseling through Cabela’s.”

According to Siemsen, Harry Huge, co-founder and chair of the executive committee for the foundation, said, “the foundation is very pleased to be partnering with Cabela’s to award these scholarships. This is an organization that shares the same passion for excellence and commitment to education that forms the cornerstone of the Huge Foundation’s mission. We look forward to working with such an outstanding organization.”

Contributions from Cabela’s Foremost Bank and the Cabela’s Corporation to The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation are the reason the scholarships are even possible, explained foundation staff.

The foundation will ultimately administer the scholarships however.

Scholarship officials explain on the scholarship application the history of how the Cabela’s Women in Leadership Scholarship program came to be.

Cabela’s first Women in Leadership Council was created in 2012 and the idea stemmed from there.

The council mission states “to support growth and development of female leaders by strengthening leadership skills, championing inclusion and diversity, and promoting innovation.”

According to members of the scholarship team, “The purpose of the scholarship is to identify young women who exhibit the potential to become tomorrow’s leaders - in their chosen professions, in their local communities, and in their broader interaction with the world.”

For more information on the scholarships or The Harry and Reba Huge Foundation those interested can contact Siemsen at (402) 580-3419 or [email protected].