The Lincoln City Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) contributed $4,000 to the Oregon Coast Community College Foundation for four $1,000 scholarships for female students at OCCC. Tabitha Arnold of Lincoln City is the fourth receipt to be awarded for the 2005 -06 school term. The previous AAUW recipients, Karla Schafer, Melissa Petrunt and Jennifer Pangburn, were awarded scholarships in September.

Arnold met the AAUW criteria of being a second-year female community college student; she successfully completed more than 30 units toward her chosen field. She will carry a class load of 15 units and she meets the 3.0 GPA requirement with a 4.0. Arnold plans to receive a transfer degree (AAOT) from OCCC and then work towards a Masters Degree. She said, “I am appreciative of the organizations support and honored to have been chosen for the AAUW scholarship.”

About 40 percent of the students who attend OCCC need financial aid, according to Ellen Sunnes, director of student services. “Many of our students work full- and part-time, supporting families and trying to make ends meet,” she said. “We are so grateful to AAUW and the many other organizations, individuals and businesses that create scholarship programs for our students to help them fulfill their dreams through education.”

The AAUW promotes equality for all women and girls, lifelong education, and positive societal change. The Lincoln City Branch of AAUW actively supports women and education in Lincoln County as well as supporting state and national AAUW programs. Membership meetings are held monthly on the second Wednesday of the month. An educational program is usually presented, fundraising activities are organized and community issues debated. The main fundraiser for the Lincoln City AAUW is the Holiday Home Tour which was recently held in the Salishan area.

In addition to providing scholarships to the OCCC Foundation, the organization also awards one $1,000 scholarship to a Taft High School senior girl, sponsors the mother-daughter tea at Taft High School, provides dictionaries for all north Lincoln and Tillamook county third graders and makes monthly contributions to My Sisters’ Place.

AAUW members range from recent college graduates to older women in all professions. Female students working toward their first degrees are also eligible for membership as student affiliates. Contact Carol Colley, AAWU president, at 557-4179 or cacolley@charter.net for more information.

Complete listings of OCCC Foundation scholarships, as well as an application form are posted on the college website at www.occc.cc.or.us. The scholarship link can be found under the “Service” category, which lists the OCCC Foundation. A.T. Ronan, development director for the college said, “A donor can make a lasting impact on the lives of students by creating a scholarship fund. It is truly a way to give financially and to know that your investment is making a lifelong difference in someone’s life.” Scholarships can be structured according to the donor’s wishes and can be started with a minimum donation of $500 per year. For information on establishing a scholarship fund, contact Ronan at 574-7131 or atronan@occc.cc.or.us.

This entry was posted by Taman Siswa on Thursday, January 5, 2006 at 11:29 am and is filed under Scholarship. Tags: A.T. Ronan, American Association of University Women, Carol Colley, College, Education News, Ellen Sunnes, Financial Aid, Jennifer Pangburn, Karla Schafer, Lincoln, Lincoln City, Lincoln County, Melissa Petrunt, OCCC Foundation, Oregon Coast Community College Foundation, Scholarship, Student, student services, Tabitha Arnold, Taft High School, Tillamook, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.