Kaden Hise, a 2025 graduate of Silo High School, is the first recipient of the $2,500 four-year Elizabeth A. Callicoat Environmental Studies Scholarship funded anonymously and administered by the Texoma Community Foundation. The $10,000 scholarship honors Elizabeth A. Callicoat, an educator and founder of the awardwinning Durant Green School program in 2016.
The award-winning program has served more than 1,500 students through its educational program and Green Team activities.
The Durant Sustainability Coalition oversees the selection process to conform with the goals of the scholarship, which is intended to extend the legacy of environmental stewardship so important to the future of our planet and the well-being of the next seven generations. The selection committee is comprised of educators and community members committed to environmental sustainability.
Hise has been accepted to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he will pursue a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. He is the son of Terry and Regina Hise of Durant.
“I am committed to advancing environmental stewardship in our state,” Hise wrote in his application, noting that “healthy habitats are critical for wildlife survival, and I have seen firsthand how habitat loss affects species. I am deeply passionate about habitat restoration and wildlife protection.”
While in high school, he demonstrated that commitment. As a member of the Kiamichi Chapter of Quail Forever, he participated in habitat restoration projects benefiting quail and pheasants.
At Southeastern, he plans to participate in the school’s Duck Weed research program and to work with the university’s horticultural program. His long-term goal is to work for state or federal wildlife agencies to protect and restore habitats and species.
The Callicoat Scholarship is open to high school graduates entering or college students attending an accredited college or university, with priority given to applicants from Bryan County, Oklahoma. Applicants are expected to have demonstrated a personal commitment and taken meaningful action related to environmental stewardship—such as conserving natural resources or habitats, practicing or expanding reduction/ reuse/recycling principles, using alternative or active transportation, or advocating for or engaging in sustainability. The scholarship is intended to help advance understanding of the synergistic relationship between human health, social well-being and the natural environment.
About Durant Sustainability Coalition Inc.
The Durant Sustainability Coalition Inc. is a non-profit, community organization committed to educating and energizing citizens in sustaining our region’s environmental richness, natural resources and beauty. For more information or questions, call Jeremy Spence at 817-845-4689 or Mark Mesiti-Miller at 831-818-3660.
