Micha “Mindi” Peckham, a 2005 graduate of Exeter High School, has received the Ozark Teacher Corps scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Peckham, the daughter of Mike Stewart, will attend Missouri Southern State University this fall, where she plans to complete a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

“I am married with three children and money is a big factor in all our decisions,” Peckham said. “So, not only am I blessed by this scholarship, but my family is as well. I am so appreciative of the Ozark Teacher Corps scholarship.”

The Ozarks Teacher Corps began in 2010 as part of the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative that links rural schools and the communities they anchor through principles of place-based education. By accepting the scholarship, recipients agree to teach for at least three years upon graduation at a rural school district in the region — often in their hometown.

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 2024– 25 school year will open Jan. 1, 2024, and run through mid-March. For more information, visit cfozarks.org/scholarships.

Founded in 1973, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is marking its 50th anniversary in 2023 as the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving a network of donors, regional affiliate foundations and nonprofit partners across central and southern Missouri through its mission of resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.