Front row, L to R: Sean Miller, Gulf Shores High School; Raylen Paschen-Harrison, Gulf Shores High School; Ian Jones, Robertsdale High School; Logan Acreman, Foley High School. Back row, L to R: Jim Morris, Vulcan, Inc.; Jim Stewart, Vulcan, Inc.; Will Rice, Vulcan, Inc.

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FOLEY - Raylen Paschen-Harrison, Logan Acreman, Ian Jones and Sean Miller, 4 high school seniors from Baldwin County, were the recipients of $26,400 in college scholarships awarded May 2, 2017, by Vulcan Scholarships, Inc., in Foley.

Vulcan Scholarships, Inc., is a nonprofit foundation fully funded by Vulcan, Inc., which is headquartered in Foley. Since 1985 the foundation has awarded 99 scholarships with a total value in excess of $600,000.

The scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from Foley, Gulf Shores and Robertsdale High Schools who have committed to study engineering.

Raylen Paschen-Harrison was selected as the recipient of The Cater Lee Distinguished Scholar Award for Engineering Study. She is a graduate of Gulf Shores High School and is the daughter of Rebecca Paschen and John E. Harrison, Jr. Raylen will enroll at Auburn University to study Wireless Engineering.

Her award is named in honor of Cater Lee, Founder and Board Chairman of Vulcan, Inc., and will have a total value of $8,400 over the next 4 years. After serving as an Army Air Corps Officer in World War II and the Korean Conflict, Lee was employed as Plant Manager with Vulcan’s predecessor, National Safety Engineers in Birmingham. He progressed to General Manager when, in 1966, Vulcan Signs and Stampings, Inc. was formed, with Lee as its first president. Soon thereafter, the company was moved to Foley and later renamed Vulcan, Inc. Lee served as President and Board Chairman during a period of significant expansion and acquisition by the company, and continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until his death in 2011. In 1969, he initiated the Foley High School Top 10 Academic Banquet and was instrumental in the establishment of a similar program at Robertsdale High School.

Lee founded Vulcan Scholarships, Inc., in 1984 to provide financial aid to local engineering students. The scholarships seek to espouse his belief that “no one makes it all alone; no one is successful without help from someone, somewhere, along the line.” By providing financial support to engineering students it was his wish that during the course of their professional careers they might make a meaningful and lasting contribution to society.

Logan Acreman, Ian Jones and Sean Miller are the recipients of Vulcan Scholar Awards with a value of $6,000 each. The awards will be administered at $1,500 a year for 4 years.

Logan Acreman, son of Tammy and Mark Acreman of Foley, is a graduate of Foley High School. He will attend The University of South Alabama in the fall and major in Civil Engineering.

Ian Jones, a graduate of Robertsdale High School, is the son of Crystal and Steven Jones. He will pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering at The University of South Alabama.

Sean Miller, a Gulf Shores High School graduate, will attend Auburn University and study Electrical Engineering. Sean is the son of Jeff and Julie Miller of Gulf Shores.

According to Jim Stewart, Jr., Board Chairman of Vulcan Scholarships, who presented the 2017 Scholarships along with Secretary-Treasurer Will Rice and Board Members Jim Morris, David Mullins and Tommy Lee, Vulcan has awarded 99 scholarships since 1985 and currently has 12 Vulcan Scholars attending colleges and universities across the nation.

“Our list of applicants this year was just outstanding, and each year the selection process becomes more difficult. We are very pleased with this year’s recipients and look forward to assisting them in pursuing their engineering degrees,” said Stewart, noting that the scholarships are always awarded based on need, scholastic achievement and extracurricular activities.