HELENA – Carroll College recently awarded $199,000 in scholarships to 17 students through the Elsie P. Corette Memorial Scholarship as well as the Roy F. Simperman Math, Science and Nursing Scholarships. This year marks 52 years since the establishment of the Elsie P. Corette Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was created at Carroll College through the generosity of Mr. John E. Corette of Butte, Montana, and by his children, in memory of his wife and their mother.
Five students from Montana, who intend to pursue medical school upon graduation, were recipients of the 2024-2025 Elsie P. Corette Memorial Scholarship established at Carroll College. The Corette Scholarship is available to Carroll pre-med majors from Montana through the generosity of 1962 Carroll graduate Roy Simperman of Mercer Island, Washington, who has supported the scholarship since 1994 upon the death of his former father-in-law Mr. John Corette. Simperman is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Semaphore Corporation in Seattle. Awards are based on financial need and promise of success in medical school. Since 1973, approximately 213 Corette Scholarships have been conferred, totaling nearly $1,451,000, with a large majority of recipients going on to become medical doctors.
2024-2025 Corette Scholarship recipients are:
- Katharina Fihre, junior, biology major, Helena
- Daxon Graham, senior, biology major, Dillon
- Gina Leveque-Zapata, senior, biology major, Helena
- Heather Magera, junior, biology major, Helena
- Gabrielle Sheridan, senior, health science major, Helena
Carroll College also named six nursing students as the recipients of the 2024-2025 Roy F. Simperman Nursing Scholarship, established by Mr. Roy Simperman as well. In addition, six math and science majors have been awarded the Simperman Math and Science Scholarship.
The Roy F. Simperman Math, Science and Nursing Scholarships provide immediate funds to Montana students needing financial assistance who are majoring in math, nursing or science with a minimum 3.5 grade point average. The scholarships are awarded to equalize the cost of attending Carroll College relative to Montana public colleges and universities. In the fifteen years that the Simperman Math, Science and Nursing Scholarships have existed at Carroll, $1,374,500 has been provided to 119 students.
2024-2025 Simperman Math, Science and Nursing Scholarship recipients are:
- Brynn Bohrer, junior, biology major, Billings
- Andrew Bralick, incoming first-year, civil engineering major, Great Falls
- Alexis Cook, junior, nursing major, Great Falls
- Delaney Hasquet, senior, nursing major, Butte
- Luci Horne, incoming first-year, math major, Townsend
- Samantha Labrum, junior, nursing major, Kalispell
- Abraham Montalvo, senior, math major, Terry
- Nicole Nau, incoming first-year, biology major, Sunburst
- Elaina Patten, senior, nursing major, Helena
- Allison Streekstra, junior, nursing major, Florence
- Kenna Thomas, senior, biology major, Belgrade
- Zoey Wickens, junior, nursing major, Townsend
Over the years, the Simperman Math, Science and Nursing Scholarships and the Corette Scholarships have provided over $2,825,500 in aid to deserving students. This year’s average award was over $11,706.
"We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Corette and Simperman families, whose support has profoundly impacted the lives of more than 329 students over the years," said Dr. John Cech, President of Carroll College. "Their commitment to education through these scholarships not only provides financial assistance but also inspires our students to pursue their dreams with confidence and determination. This philanthropy does more than just fund education; it transforms lives and strengthens the fabric of our communities. On behalf of the entire Carroll College family, I extend our heartfelt thanks to the Corette family and Roy and Frances Simperman for their enduring impact and the bright futures they have helped to foster."
More Information on the Elsie Corette Memorial Scholarship
The Elsie Corette Memorial Scholarship was created at Carroll College through the generosity of Mr. John E. Corette of Butte, Montana, and by his children, in memory of his wife and their mother. Elsie Corette was born in 1907 to Peter and Mary Pauly of Deer Lodge. Peter was a cofounder of the Williams and Pauly ranch, which by the early 1950s stretched from east of Drummond to near the top of McDonald Pass.
In late September of 1930, Elsie went to Missoula to be a teaching instructor in the University of Montana History Department and continue work on her master’s degree in English. Two years later, she married a lawyer, Jack Corette. They moved to Butte, where Jack served as chairman and chief executive officer of Montana Power Company. Mr. Corette also served on the Carroll College Board of Trustees. In 1971, Elsie died, and Jack proposed the idea of a scholarship trust account at Carroll College for pre-med students who might practice in Montana.
Since Mr. Corette’s death in 1994, this scholarship fund has been generously supported by Roy F. Simperman of Mercer Island, Washington, a graduate of Carroll’s class of 1962, in memory of Mr. Simperman’s deceased wife, Diane, who was the daughter of Jack and Elsie Corette. Diane Simperman served on the Corette Scholarship Committee for many years. Mr. Simperman is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Semaphore Corporation.