Kylie Ketchum and Colt Lewis have each been awarded a $1,000 Chase Regester Memorial Scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year.
This scholarship is designed to honor the memory of Charles L. Regester III — “Chase” — (May 29, 1986–Aug. 2, 2006), who was raised on a ranch and spent his childhood and youth involved in 4-H, rodeos and ranch life. He graduated from Pagosa Springs High School in May 2005 and was pursuing ranching as a career.
Regester loved animals, the great outdoors, his friends and family, and had a great sense of humor and a “whipping and spurring” approach to life.
This scholarship was endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lindner to honor Regester and his family for living and preserving the history and traditions of the American West. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Russell Jr. added to that endowment in 2007, as did Tiger Regester in 2012.
Both students attend Pagosa Springs High School, are involved in high school activities and sports, know the value of community service, and are tremendous role models within the 4-H program, especially to the younger 4-H members. Their 4-H participation has included raising and showing livestock, and each have won top awards at the Archuleta County Fair.
Ketchum is an 11-year member of 4-H, participating in several projects, raising swine, turkey and steer, and has held several leadership positions in the 4-H Club. Local rodeo events and being a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) has also demonstrated her western heritage values.
She has many accolades in varsity basketball and track, and this 4.0 scholar is a member of National Honor Society and Student Athlete Leadership Club.
In eighth grade, she started a custom design printing business that has continued to grow and expand, which is why Kylie is pursuing a degree in agribusiness media and communications and entrepreneurship at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. Her business mission is “to create a community that reaches as many people as possible so that I can give back what has been given to me.”
Lewis has been riding horses and raising cattle since he was a boy and calls himself a “ranch kid.” He wrote, “I have learned in ranching that if you have a good work ethic and you are a problem solver, you can get a lot of stuff done.”
He is a varsity letterman in basketball, football and track, and a member of Student Athlete Leadership Club, FFA and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As a member of the National High School Rodeo Association and the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association, he continues to compete and win as a saddle bronc rider. Lewis has been a long and active member of 4-H, participating in the livestock project by raising swine and steer. Tarleton State University in Texas is where Lewis will take his place on the rodeo team and study agribusiness and welding.
This scholarship is designed to support a student pursuing postsecondary education of any variety, which can include university, college, community college, technical, business, vocational, agricultural or ranch training program. The basic requirement for any scholarship applicant is that they have participated in Rodeo, 4-H, FFA, or have agriculture or ranching background and upbringing during their high school years.
