The Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) has announced its 2026 scholarship recipients, awarding funds to outstanding students across the state. This year, 126 applications were received, with two recipients selected from the Garden Valley Technologies service area.
Adam Jacobson of Shevlin was selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship through the Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) and a $2,500 scholarship through the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS). Mr. Jacobson plans to attend Bemidji State University. He is the son of Darwin and Lana Jacobson.
Max Konickson of Red Lake Falls was selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship. Mr. Konickson graduated from Lafayette High School and plans to attend the University of Minnesota – Crookston. He is the son of Don and Lacey Konickson.
To be eligible for the MTA scholarship, applicants must be attending post-secondary education at either a university, college, or technical college, be a Minnesota resident, and the applicant’s family must subscribe to at least one service from an MTA member company; in this case, Garden Valley Technologies. The panel reviewed each application and scored the applications based on the applicants’ grades, academic achievements, and extra-curricular activities.
In awarding the scholarship to these students, Tim Brinkman, CEO/General Manager at GVT, said, “It’s especially rewarding to see students from our local communities recognized at the state level,” said Brinkman. “These scholarships are an investment in the future of our communities.”
In addition to the MTA scholarships, the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) supports students from rural communities as they pursue higher education. Founded in 1994, FRS is the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, of which Garden Valley Technologies is a member.
The FRS Scholarship Program awards one-time scholarships to students for their first year of college, university, or vocational-technical school. Each student is sponsored by an NTCA member company that contributes a portion of the scholarship award. This year, FRS awarded 60 scholarships, totaling $185,000, to students across the country.
