The Park County Republican Women hosted the 18th annual Leadership Tea on Sunday, April 6, at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

This event honors the 2025 girls high school graduates of Park County, including Meeteetsee High School, Powell High School, Powell’s Shoshone Learning Center, Cody High School, Cody’s Heart Mountain Academy and homeschool girls, by encouraging and supporting them all. 

This year’s participants included Park County Republican Women, students from Powell and their counselor Jenna Carter, students from Cody and their counselor Rebecca Merritt, and the inspiring keynote speaker, Ashlee Lundvall.

Kinsley Merritt, a 2024 Cody graduate, was awarded the Peg Shreve Memorial $1,000 Scholarship at last year’s Leadership Tea. She thanked Park County Republican Women and the Shreve family for her scholarship and was excited to talk to the attendees about her life at the University of Wyoming and her future plans.

The Peg Shreve Memorial $1,000 scholarship was awarded by Don Shreve and family to Kendal Eden of Powell. She is the daughter of Jenna and Justin Eden. She will be attending the University of Wyoming with a major in elementary education.      

The Peg Coe Memorial $1,000 scholarship was presented by close, dear friend of the Coe family, Joyce Boyer, to Kennedy Brown of Cody. She is the daughter of Sophie and Ryan Brown. She will be attending Montana State University in Billings, with a major in diagnostic medical sonography.

The first  PCRW $1,000 scholarship was awarded by Fran Swope to Alyssa Despain of Cody. She is the daughter of Krista and Jacob Despain. She will be attending college in the fall at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a major in exercise science/kinesiology. She hopes to become an occupational therapist.

The second PCRW $1,000 scholarship was awarded by Swope to McKenna Cannon of Powell. She is the daughter of Stacey and Jim Cannon. She will be attending  Northwest College in the fall with a major in speech pathology.

The PCRW president, Stefanie Bell, presented on the past and present women who have served in leadership positions in Park County and many at the state level. A reminder of the times, when women could not vote, and they couldn’t own property.

Sandy Newsome, a former two-term state representative from Park County, gave everyone journals and pens to record their goals, their achievements, and happy times growing up. Merritt later asked the attendees to take a few minutes to write a happy time, a memory, or an achievement, in their new journals.

Leadership Tea chair Fran Swope, introduced Ashlee Lundvall to speak about her incredible life story. She’s earned the title as Ms Wheelchair USA with her platform of making the outdoors accessible for everyone. She is a lover of animals and a hunter.

She shared her inspirational story of being an active woman in a wheelchair and how she balances family and career as a wife and mother.

Lundvall was recently nominated and approved as the new president of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. As president, she will oversee the commission that supervises  Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce. 

Gov. Mark Gordon appointed Lundvall as commissioner of District 5, which encompasses Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. She will serve until her term concludes in March 2027.

Lundvall sent out warm wishes to the graduating seniors for their future, by saying, “Step out of your comfort zone. Be brave and do something amazing. You can do it!”                         

The graduates and all attendees were challenged to be informed and involved in their communities wherever they live, and that their commitment to God, family and country, is important to carry on the beliefs of freedom and morality in our country. 

Park County Republican Women encourage strong family values, community involvement, and the advancement of women, including these young graduates, along with the four scholarships they award each year. The graduates received a congratulatory gift and fondest wishes for their future.