Hayden Royer, a 2024 graduate of Wheaton High School, has received the Olin J. Brattin and Jim and Shirley Cook scholarships, administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Royer, the son of Lewis and Deanna Royer, is attending the University of Missouri this fall, where he is studying mechanical engineering.

“I am very appreciative and grateful for the donors who are willing to help fund my educational goals,” Royer said.

The Olin J. Brattin Scholarship Fund was established by Jim Brattin and Sherry Wiseman in honor of their father to further the higher education of Cassville R-IV, Wheaton R-III and McDonald County R-1 High School students.

The Jim and Shirley Cook Scholarship Fund was established by Shirley Cook and Beth Ipock to benefit southwest Missouri students seeking to major in mechanical engineering, CNC programming, welding or machine tool technology.

The CFO and its regional affiliate foundations — including the Cassville Community Foundation — hold about 480 scholarship funds, established by generous donors to help students from across central and southern Missouri achieve their goals of higher education. The application period for the 2025–26 school year will open Jan. 1, 2025, and run through mid-March. For more information, people may visit cfozarks. org/scholarships.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 55 regional affiliate foundations with assets totaling $490 million as of June 30, 2024. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.