Fleming Library Association awards scholarships to two graduating seniors

Two Fleming High School seniors, Colton Cochran and Emoree Lousberg, received the Fleming Library Association’s 2026 scholarships, an award that helps local students cover the early costs of life after graduation. In a rural Logan County town where books, fees and supplies can quickly add up, the scholarship is more than a line on a resume; it is practical support from a familiar civic institution.

The annual awards are meant to recognize local students and help them continue their education after high school. Fleming’s scholarship program has become a steady part of the town’s calendar, with recent recipients including Savannah Taylor in 2025; Madisyn Serrato and Tori Champ in 2024; Jaime Nab and Alaina Schliesser in 2023; Jessie Bornhoft and Joel Muller in 2022; Ana Resendiz and Jordan Alvarez in 2021; and Peter Betley and Bonnie Polis in 2020.

Past recipients have also shown how closely the library’s support is tied to student involvement. In 2022, Bornhoft and Muller were recognized after participating in programs such as Summer Reading and Dr. Seuss Nights and helping with library activities during high school. Taylor’s 2025 award followed similar service, including Summer Reading as both a reader and a helper, Dr. Seuss Night and work as a teacher assistant for the Fleming School/Community Library.

That broader pipeline matters in Fleming, where the library’s reach starts long before graduation. The Fleming School/Community Library gives library card numbers to preschoolers as they move toward kindergarten, tying early literacy to the same institution that later helps seniors with scholarships. The library also drew more than 325 visitors to its annual Collector’s Day in 2024, a reminder that it functions as a gathering place, not just a book-lending desk.

Fleming itself has long relied on institutions like that. The town was first settled in the 1880s and came to life in 1904 when the railroad arrived with a store and bank, and it was named for railroad official Henry Bascom Fleming. More than a century later, the library association is still doing quiet work that helps students like Cochran and Lousberg cross the gap from high school to whatever comes next.