More than $600,000 in scholarships was awarded to over 250 local high school students in a special event held at Northwest State Community College Thursday evening. This marks a record amount of financial help provided by Northwest State, which was extended to some traditional students leaving high school, and others who were starting-up a new chapter in their education. One of the featured speakers was Brandon Allen, a local resident who dropped out of high school, and made other questionable decisions. But now he is a husband and father, and focused on his studies in mechanical and plastics engineering.