Rena Payne, a 2022 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School, and Jenny Casteel, a 2022 graduate of Twin Rivers High School were selected to receive the local Donna Moulton Scholarship from the P.E.O. Chapter MF.
Payne is the daughter of Benjamin and Christina Payne. She will attend Three Rivers College, where she will study elementary education.
Casteel is the daughter of Frankie and Pamela Casteel. She will also attend Three Rivers College, where she will pursue an Associate of Arts in teaching degree.
P.E.O. Chapter MF began the scholarship in 1990 to celebrate the life of Donna Moulton and to assist women attending Three Rivers College majoring in education. Moulton was an educator in the Poplar Bluff R-I School District for 10 years. Her teaching career spanned 29 years in Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri.
P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years, according to members.
Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 116,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $383 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.
The sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College. Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together more than a half a million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education, while supporting and motivating them.
In addition to educational philanthropies, the P.E.O. Sisterhood provides a framework of support and community for all members.
What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America with close to 6,000 chapters.
To learn more about P.E.O., its powerful educational philanthropies and see stories of women who have benefited from the programs, visit peointernational.org