Carthage graduate receives Curtis Rex Carter Applied Science Scholarship

Kellen Frieling, a 2024 graduate of Carthage Senior High School, has received the Curtis Rex Carter Applied Science Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Frieling, the son of Amy and Kieth Frieling, will attend Missouri State University this fall, where he will study electrical engineering within a cooperative program with Missouri S&T.

“I want to express my thanks for selecting me as a recipient,” Frieling said. “I’m excited to get started in August.”

The Curtis Rex Carter Applied Science Scholarship Fund was established by Mr. Carter to benefit high school students in Jasper County who pursue a degree in applied sciences after graduation.

The CFO and its regional affiliate foundations — including the Carthage 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, 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.