Josephine Edwards and Stella Koch will put the $5,000 toward their college educations

A pair of St. Paul High School graduates are a little closer to paying for a college education, thanks to the town’s most famous summertime attraction.

The St. Paul Rodeo Association Foundation announced last week that graduating senior Josephine Edwards and college freshman Stella Koch are this year’s recipients of $5,000 scholarships.

The foundation awards two scholarships each year — one to a senior graduating from the tiny high school, in this case Edwards, and one to a child of a rodeo association member — to wit, Koch.

Edwards was one of the school’s seven valedictorians this year, completed school with a 4.0 grade-point average and was heavily involved in sports, competing in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. She was also a member of Future Farmers of America, St. Paul Business Leaders of America, Key Club, International Club, Art Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society.

Edwards will apply her scholarship money to studying biology at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Once she receives her undergraduate degree she hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon.

Her volunteer efforts at the annual St. Paul Rodeo included helping with parking and manning the Trading Post Tent and booster club concessions — where she joined with her mother and brother to prepare hot dogs, bratwursts and the event’s legendary strawberry shortcake.

“I got to see so many people there,” she said of her time working in the booster club trailer. “The atmosphere in the trailer, helping people, giving them shortcake, I really enjoyed it.”

The St. Paul native is a natural ambassador for the rodeo: “The rodeo is such a big part of St. Paul. The entire town is the St. Paul Rodeo.”

Koch recently finished her freshman year studying agricultural entrepreneurship at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, where she also plays volleyball.

The 2024 St. Paul High graduate was one of seven valedictorians and was also heavily involved in sports during her time at the high school, competing in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. She was a member of FFA, St. Paul Business Leaders of America, Key Club, FCA, Associated Student Body and the National Honor Society.

Like Edwards, she volunteered at the St. Paul Rodeo, with parking, concessions, set up and cleanup. Last year she helped with social media, taking pictures and video as well.

“It was fun to see all the people come to town and take pictures of them smiling and having fun,” she said. “It’s cool that we get to share our little town with them and capture those pictures.”

Koch’s extended family has extensive ties to the rodeo: father Todd is among the board of directors, uncle Mitch Coleman is a pickup man, grandfather Steve Coleman is a former director and past president, and her brother Rawley is a bareback rider. Todd Koch and Steve Coleman are former bareback riders as well.