MonCre Scholarship Winner
Sydni Kathryn Sikes
MonCre Telephone Cooperative congratulates Sydni Kathryn Sikes, a 2009 senior at Pike Liberal Arts School. She receives a $1,500 scholarship from MonCre which she will apply towards her education at Troy University.

This is Sydni's winning essay:
I am blessed to be born into a family whose roots for many generations have been firmly planted in a rural community. While their jobs may take them to the "big city,"� at the end of the day they come back to the safety and security of their rural home. My community is a place where people care about others, where they pitch in to help one another when things get rough, and where children are not afraid to play outside.
Perhaps you are familiar with the old African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."� That is what life for me was like growing up in a small, rural community. Not only were my immediate family always there for me, but my extended family of neighbors and friends were there for me as well. They were there to celebrate my achievements, offer a work of encouragement when I failed, share advice when I faced a difficult decision, or just give a pat on the back to let me know they were there if I needed them. Growing up in such an environment has certainly had an enormous impact on the person I have become so far.

While I was a little girl, my grandparents, affectionately known as Nanny and Pawpaw to their seven grandchildren, owned a country store in our little community. They encountered all sorts of individuals on a daily basis. From that I learned the important lesson of not being judgmental. Their tolerance for people's differences showed me that it is not important how a person looks on the outside; it is what is in his or her heart that really matters. The people of Lapine Baptist Church taught me to always be hospitable. No matter how long between my visits there, they always welcomed me with a warm smile and a loving hug. From my hairdresser I learned that work really can be fun. Her shop undoubtedly is the liveliest place in our little neighborhood. It is always filled with good friends sharing a laugh or two. Her enthusiasm is contagious and regardless of what kind of day you have had, you can count on leaving her shop with a smile on your face.

What would I change about my community? I can honestly say there is not much I would change. If I could somehow insulate my community from the negative influences of the world around it, I would choose to do so.

I want my community to be the kind of place my parents and grandparents remember. I want to be able at the end of the day, to come home from the "big city"� to relax and feel safe and secure. I want my community to ALWAYS be a place where people care about others, where they pitch in to help one another when things get rough; a place where children are not afraid to play outside.