Local student pursuing a lineworker certificate program receives Roy J. Rohla Memorial Scholarship
Wyatt Rickman is the 2026 recipient of Platte River Power Authority’s Roy J. Rohla Memorial Scholarship and recently graduated from Skyline High School in Longmont. This fall, Rickman will attend Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE to pursue intensive training and certification program to become a lineworker, he is particularly interested in working on high-voltage transmission lines.
Rickman first heard of Platte River from his great-uncle, who worked for Tri-State Generation and Transmission as a lineman and often wore shirts branded by both Tri-State and Platte River.
Rickman took college classes at Front Range Community College, which best prepared him for the next step in his academic career.
Rickman visited Platte River's headquarters campus on June 18 to be recognized for the scholarship award during a company-wide business meeting. He met with General Manager and CEO Jason Frisbie, staff and industry experts, as well as members of Rohla’s family.
“I would like to thank Platte River and the Rohla family for giving me this fantastic opportunity to further my education in the next two years and hopefully become a great lineman in the years to come,” said Rickman.
The annual $6,000 scholarship is offered through the Alltricity Foundation, formerly the RMEL Foundation. Applicants for the Roy J. Rohla scholarship must have a permanent home address within Platte River’s service region that includes the municipalities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. The scholarship is named for a former Platte River employee Roy J. Rohla – who, during his 20-year tenure with the organization, encouraged his colleagues to continue learning.
“Roy was a huge proponent for employees continuing their education,” says Frisbie. “Without his encouragement, I wouldn’t have pursued my master’s degree.”
Applications for the 2027 Roy J. Rohla Memorial Scholarship will open in late fall of 2026, with submissions due in early 2027. Learn more at prpa.org/community-involvement.