Harlan and Jeraldean Palm Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Central Minnesota Community Foundation
Introduction — the Palms and their business
Harlan and Jeraldean Palm have left a lasting mark on Minnesota’s manufacturing scene through Palm Industries and its many offshoots. Harlan, who jokingly refers to himself as a “gear head” (his term for people who can’t leave mechanical things alone), has spent his life tinkering and inventing. Jeraldean played a key role behind the scenes—managing the books while raising their four children and participating actively in church and community life. Harlan founded Palm Industries in 1970; over the years the enterprise spawned several related companies and manufactured products such as grain bins, trailers, and cabs and attachments for machinery. A major expansion came in the late 1980s when the company partnered with the Bobcat Company. The Palms take pride in creating stable local jobs; Jeraldean credits not only Harlan’s sales skills but also his leadership and how he treated employees for the firm’s strong reputation. As Harlan has said of the work, it “was very fun — it didn’t even seem like work.”
Scholarship overview
- Number available: 4 scholarships
- Amount: $2,500 per year each
- Renewable: Yes — renewal requires submission of evidence of satisfactory academic performance
Who may apply
- Current high school seniors
- Residency: Students from Litchfield, Atwater, Cosmos, or Grove City
- Intended field of study: Programs that prepare students for careers in manufacturing, including but not limited to machining, drafting, welding, engineering, metal fabrication, or industrial technology education
- School plans: Accepted applicants must enroll full time at a U.S.-based two- or four-year college
Required materials for the online application
- Application general information (basic questions)
- Essay (1–2 pages, double-spaced): Explain why you want to enter the manufacturing industry, identify which segment of manufacturing you plan to pursue, and describe your career goals after graduation.
- Statement of Need and Responsibility: Briefly describe any personal, family, or life circumstances that create financial need for this scholarship.
- Activity list covering:
1) Community service (civic and church volunteer work)
2) Extracurricular school activities (non-graded school involvement)
3) Work experience
- Electronic high school transcript: Applicants must enter their guidance office’s email address into the online application at least five days before the application deadline so the guidance office can upload the transcript in time.
Other notes
- Scholarships are multi-year provided recipients continue in an approved program of study and meet renewal requirements.