Students awarded $1 million in scholarships
Clark College students, staff, and supporters gathered with Clark College Foundation on Oct. 13 at the Hilton in downtown Vancouver for a reception to recognize scholarship recipients and generous donors. During fall term, the Foundation awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to Clark students.
In her welcome address, Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards said she has been energized to see so many students on campus and full parking lots during the first three weeks of fall term.
Calling attention to the Foundation, its donors and family and friends supporting Clark students, Dr. Edwards said, “We want to thank you for your unwavering support of our students.”
Before the program started, Dr. Edwards had the opportunity to talk with many scholarship recipients.
She said, “The students were grateful and expressed their appreciation for the scholarship. What an upbeat and energetic environment—a perfect way to end a busy week.”
Current student and scholarship recipient Amy Chitwood spoke from the podium about how a scholarship from the Foundation, combined with Clark’s reasonable tuition and fees and the caring faculty and staff have made it possible for her to work full-time while being a full-time student pursuing a career in human resources.
“I benefited from the foundation for their generous Rex and Arlene Garrison business scholarship, which helped me pay for college,” Chitwood said. “You see people from all walks of life attending Clark, and it’s thanks to its affordability and support of their students and community. None of my accomplishments would have been possible without the support of Clark College, my teachers, the administration, and the Foundation. The connections I have made here have shaped me. I look forward to completing my degree here and becoming an alumnus. Go penguins!”
Clark College Foundation CEO Calen Ouellette, said, “This vital work of awarding scholarships to students is the ‘why’ of everything we do at the Foundation. We are grateful to our donors for their support of Clark. We are excited to award these scholarships and look forward to hearing from students after they have graduated and are doing amazing work in our community.”
Two nursing students said scholarships awarded by the Foundation have made an enormous difference in their ability to succeed in the challenging program.
Hillary Sadlowski, now in her sixth term in the nursing program, will graduate in December. During the height of the pandemic, Sadlowski was working full time as a certified nursing assistant at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center while also enrolled in Clark’s nursing program full time. She didn’t know about scholarships and grants. A counselor in the nursing program told Sadlowski that she would not be able to continue at the pace she was going. The nursing counselor encouraged her to apply for scholarships and grants.
“It was life-changing for me,” Sadlowski said. “If it were not for scholarships and grants, there’s no way I could have continued in school.”
Alejandra Valencia is in her first term of Clark’s nursing program. While she was taking prerequisites at Clark, she was working full time as a certified nursing assistant and going to school full time. She also was pregnant.
Now in addition to starting the nursing program, she is the mother of a busy toddler. Thanks to a scholarship awarded by the Foundation and a supportive husband to help at home, she does not have to add a job to her full schedule.
“I don’t think I could handle working, going to school and being the parent of 3-year-old,” Valencia said. “Thanks to the Foundation, I don’t have to be stretched that far.”
See more photos from the event on our Flickr Page.
