The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office awarded its first annual scholarship to Mancos High School’s Ashley Cole.

According to a news release, the Sheriff’s Office offered a scholarship award of $1,000 this year to a deserving high school student in Colorado to fund higher-level educational expenses for the 2018-2019 academic year.

The funds for the scholarship were generated from an “in-house fundraiser” with Sheriff’s Office employees.

A citizens committee selected Cole for the award.

“The committee made their selections based upon criteria established by application form including leadership, merit, character, involvement, purpose and need,” Cindy Ramsay, grants director at the Sheriff’s Office, wrote in a news release. “Applicants were required to be full-time, legal Colorado residents who planned to attend a Colorado university, college or trade school.”

Ashley Cole is the daughter of Cory and Adonna Cole. She plans to attend Colorado Mesa University to study nursing.