Excerpts from this article were reprinted with permission from the Hawley Herald, February 8, 2016, Jen Miller staff writer.

Lake Park - Audubon Dollars for Scholars is pleased to announce the addition of the Jona and Alicia Baer Medical School Scholarship.  This scholarship will be awarded for the first time to a member of the graduating Class of 2016 that plans on entering the medical field to become a medical doctor, nurse practitioner or physicians assistant.  The scholarship will be paid upon the students acceptance into medical school.  The student must write an essay on why they are deserving of the scholarship funds.  The qualifying student will be awarded the $5,000.00 scholarship. 

Jona graduated from Lake Park High School and Alicia graduated from Hawley High School.  The Baer's have established this scholarship in both school districts.  The funds are managed by West Central Initiative.  The Baer's manage a farm of chickens, producing eggs.  Jona and Alicia have raised four successful children.  Their oldest son, Ephriam, is married and raising four kids, while working as a contractor and running a pig farm.  Jeremiah, is married and has a little girl to brighten his world, and also runs a farm. Their daughter Casandra, is married and an RN at Sanford in Cardiac Care.  Their youngest Nathaniel is married and raising one child with another one on the way.  He has followed in his parent's footsteps as an egg farmer, as well as a crop farmer. 

The Baers explained the steps they took to set up the scholarship and why.  "We are getting older and realizing we will be needing more medical care and med school is expensive, so we are hoping a $5,000 scholarship helps out."

Thank you Jona and Alicia for establishing this generous scholarship.