When Peyton Wallace learned about a scholarship opportunity while reading The Iola Register, he knew it had the potential to change his life.
The trustees of the Barbara and Herschel Perry Charitable Trust announced in June they would be directing the trust’s funds towards scholarships for qualifying students interested in becoming an electrician, plumber, or any other number of trades. Trustee Ken Rowe noted at the time that there is a large sum of money in the trust.
“If we were to sponsor everyone in Allen County who is going into a trade, I don’t believe we’d run out of money for five or 10 years,” he said.
Wallace, 19, graduated from Humboldt High School in 2023 where he was a standout cross country athlete. Since graduation he has worked for B&W Trailer Hitches as a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) operator.
“It was fun, but it’s not what I wanted to do,” he said. “I thought I would better myself by going back to school.”
He added that working for B&W has been a “great experience” and has helped prepare him for his future. “Running CNC is not easy,” he said. “You’re always thinking and it’s a different kind of mental work. Working there has helped me mature over the past two years and has steered me in the proper direction.”
Wallace is set to begin a heavy equipment operations program at North Central Kansas Technical College (NCK Tech) in Beloit. He moved onto campus Saturday and began classes Monday. His dream, after graduation, is to run his own business digging ponds in Texas.
“I have family that live in Texas and I think it would be an ideal state to have a home and retire,” he said.
The scholarship funds Wallace is receiving from the trust will cover the entirety of his education and housing.
“Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money and definitely didn’t have any set back for college,” he noted. “This scholarship has been a big stress reliever. I can focus on my studies and not worry about how I’m going to afford them.”
He added that he is appreciative of the opportunity the trust has given him and expressed his thanks to the trustees for selecting him. “Saying ‘thank you’ is not enough,” he said. “I can’t put into words how life changing this is.” Wallace anticipates graduating from NCK Tech in May.
ROWE noted that five students have been selected for scholarships since the announcement was made in June.
“The scholarships aren’t limited to any specific trade,” Rowe said. The fields of study for those already selected include radiology, farrier, heavy equipment operations, electrical lineman, and firearms technology.
“Whether they want to go into cosmetology or plumbing, this opportunity is open for them,” he added.
Barbara and Herschel Perry were involved in the trades their whole lives. “They were very private and frugal people,” said Rowe. “They never spent any of their money and just wished for it to be used for charitable things.”
