Paige Thiele, a senior at Tahoma High School, received a $2,500 scholarship from Cedar Grove Composting through the “Seeds for Scholars” program.

The scholarship program, which launched in 2013, recognizes a Tahoma High School student based on demonstrated interest, action and achievement in issues surrounding sustainability and the environment.

The scholarship includes payment made directly to the college of acceptance in 2014, the opportunity to be interviewed for a summer internship at Cedar Grove in the summer of 2014 and every summer thereafter while Thiele is in college and a dinner for the Thiele and her parents. Cedar Grove Composting is one of nation’s innovators in collecting and processing organic materials from residential and commercial sources.

“Tahoma High School is increasingly focused on finding ways to help students be better prepared for college and careers,” said Kevin Patterson, Tahoma’s public information officer, in a press release. “We call it Future Ready and it embraces opportunities for students to learn more about the world beyond high school through internships, job shadows and other real-world experiences. ‘Seeds for Scholars’ reflects the kind of learning experience we want students to have. We are grateful and fortunate that Cedar Grove offers this opportunity to students.”

Thiele attended school in the Tahoma School District for 13 years: Glacier Park Elementary, Cedar River Middle School, Tahoma Junior High and, finally, Tahoma High School. She’s involved in the Green Team at Tahoma High, actively working on recycling and composting at home and at school.

“When I look at the amount of leftovers and food waste in my home and at school, I’m thankful for the opportunity to put those materials back into the earth,” Thiele said in a press release. “I never feel good about wasting things, especially something as important as food.”

This annual scholarship and will be offered again in 2015. More information can be found at http://cedar-grove.com/about-us/grants-donations.