Northeastern Oregon Students Earn Academic Honors at Regional Universities, February 2026

Two Union County graduating seniors, Keira Counsell and Taylor Weishaar, are among 12 students across northeastern Oregon selected by the Oregon Wheat Foundation for $2,000 scholarships in its 2026 program.

The foundation chose one recipient from most counties in the region, but Union County claimed two of the 12 spots. The other recipients represent Baker, Gilliam, Malheur, Marion, Sherman, Umatilla, Wallowa, and Wasco counties. Sherman County also placed two students: Madison Cranston and Addison Smith. The full list includes Ella Wilde of Baker County, Ryder Steward of Gilliam County, Addie Saunders of Malheur County, Sophia Seeder of Marion County, Hunter Hansell of Umatilla County, Owyhee Harguess and Katelynn Melville of Wallowa County, and George Barnett of Wasco County. Each recipient receives $2,000 to support their future education.

Separately, Trinity Nesser of North Powder earned a spot on a regional university's dean's honor roll, joining Jack Monkman of Pendleton in that recognition. The honor roll requires a grade point average of at least 3.4 while completing a minimum of 12 credit hours.

George Fox University, based in Newberg, also recognized local northeastern Oregon students on its fall 2025 dean's list. The university sets its bar at a 3.5 GPA or higher, with at least 12 hours of graded coursework completed in the semester. The complete list of local students earning that distinction, including their year, hometown, and field of study, was published in the East Oregonian.

The roundup appeared in the East Oregonian on March 12. Families or schools wishing to submit scholarship and academic honor notices for future compilations can send information to community@eastoregonian.com. Additional student honors are searchable on the East Oregonian website.