Melissa Coats

Mary Elizabeth Hunt

Brandi Putman

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Wood County Electric Cooperative (WCEC) is pleased to announce the 2018 Power Upward Scholarship contest winners. This program is for non-traditional adult learners pursuing post-secondary education. Each of the three winners described their field of study and future goals with an essay. The winners, selected by an independent judge, are: Mary Elizabeth Hunt, Winnsboro; Melissa Coats, Quitman; and Brandi Putman, Winnsboro.

Mary Elizabeth Hunt, secretary at Winnsboro Church of Christ, is the wife of Brian Hunt. The Hunts reside near Winnsboro and are the parents of two daughters. Hunt holds a Bachelor of Science in Education. She stays involved with church activities and participates in an outreach program called Feed My Starving Children. Hunt is enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she is switching careers from teaching to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Melissa Coats is an eighth-grade mathematics teacher at Quitman ISD but has taught in the region for 22 years. She and husband Ty live near Quitman and are the parents of a son and a daughter. Coats is active at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, and she and her husband administer a scholarship fund they founded in memory of their son Jacob. She is pursuing her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Lamar University, Beaumont. She hopes, upon graduating, to continue serving in education through an administrative position.

Brandi Putman, having spent 27 years as a teacher, is the district student services coordinator at Winnsboro ISD and is the mother of one son. She and her husband Brett live near Winnsboro. She is a member at Tinney Chapel United Methodist Church, and she helps raise Texas registered Longhorns on the family farm. She is pursuing her Master’s Degree at UT-Tyler. She plans to continue using her education to serve students in need of special services.

Of the winners, WCEC CEO/General Manager Debbie Robinson said, “Each of these high-achieving ladies should be admired for pursuing their passions through education. Helping driven adults reach their full potential is the purpose of this WCEC adult scholarship program for members. I have no doubt our communities will be well-served by these students when they put their knowledge to use.”