Aug 30, 2023 | Foundation, News, OCCI News, Student Success
The Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation is proud to congratulate the 2023-24 scholarship recipients. Thanks to generous donors, the organization awarded nearly 200 scholarships totaling more than $270,000 for students attending Southwestern for the upcoming academic year.
“Scholarships often make the difference between students pursuing their education or not,” said Elise Hamner, Southwestern Foundation Executive Director. “A scholarship is not just financial aid. Our students tell us that receiving a scholarship inspires them, because they know someone cares about their future and wants them to succeed. That’s powerful.”
Guided by a board of community volunteers, the Southwestern Foundation organized as a nonprofit organization in 1962, the year after the college started. Since then, thousands of students have attended the college using Foundation scholarships. These awards help students achieve their goals, by breaking down barriers and cultivating the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators in local communities, the state and around the world.
In addition to Foundation scholarships, the college can potentially assist families of current high school graduates with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.75 or higher with a free two-year tuition waiver worth more than $9,800 to attend Southwestern. This past year, 44 students from the 10 high schools in the college district took advantage of the GPA award opportunity. In total, they saved their families nearly $150,000 in tuition costs.
If you are interested in donating to Southwestern Foundation scholarships visit www.socc.edu/give or call 541-888-7211 for additional information.
2023-24 Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation
Scholarship Recipients |
SCHOLARSHIP |
RECIPIENT |
Adam Bower Scholarship |
Aurora |
Duff |
Andy Toribio Scholarship |
Brooklyn |
Culver |
Ann Lansing Scholarship |
Viridiana |
Penaloza |
Art and Toni Poole Scholarship |
Raiya |
Estupinian |
Dezi |
Hazzard |
Ryuto |
Hiramatsu |
Matt |
Howard |
Melanie |
Nielsen |
Skylee |
Pettit |
Cadence |
Wilstead |
Barbara Dodrill Scholarship |
Heather |
Beaird |
Ruby |
Cardoso |
Anonymous* |
|
Barbara Emily Knudson Scholarship |
Katherine |
Alcober |
Barbara Reynolds Scholarship |
Marcela |
Mendoza |
Baughman Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship |
Julia |
Willis |
Bay Area Sportsman’s Association (BASA) Scholarship |
Ethan |
Pounder |
Bechtold-Laird Health Care Scholarship |
Vanessa |
Cardoso |
Asa |
Crusoe |
Davey |
Gayler |
Laresa |
Rowden |
Cherie J. Mitchell Scholarship |
Benjamin |
McQuaid |
Cherish Pride Scholarship |
Alexandra |
Graves |
Christine Moffitt Science Scholarship |
Hunter |
Ciarabellini |
Boe |
Clayson |
Harli |
Crossman |
Amanda |
McDonald |
Ashley |
Pimentel |
Chuck Hanners Scholarship |
Antonio |
Gallagher |
Clyde and Jackie Cherry Memorial Scholarship |
Nicole |
Hamby-Freund |
Natasha |
Holmes |
Coos Bay Vision Center Scholarship |
Raynee |
Woodworth |
Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary Scholarship |
Kendle |
Langley |
Coos County Cultural Coalition Genesis Scholarship |
Astrid |
Hesson |
Coos County Realtors Scholarship |
Amber |
Moodenbaugh |
Coquille Indian Tribe Scholarship |
Minami |
Miyauchi |
CTE Training Scholarship |
Damon |
Lynch |
Curry Campus General Scholarship |
Marshall |
Dickson |
Jayme |
Larson |
Rosemarie |
Springer |
Anonymous* |
|
Anonymous* |
|
Curry Health-Related Scholarship |
Regina |
Alvarez |
Samantha |
Mellow |
Dean and Jane Muffett Memorial Scholarship |
Kyla |
Bailey-Wilson |
DeArmond CTE Scholarship |
Alannah |
Gee |
Sonia |
Haro |
Paige |
Hoene |
Joshua |
Theis |
Adrianna |
Thode |
Dennis and Janet Beetham Family Scholarship |
Derell |
Augustine |
Aubrey |
Brooks |
Cesarea |
Haller |
Aleczander |
Hardy |
Cameron |
Miller |
Kari |
Morales |
Luke |
Norris |
Shane |
Sundberg |
Ian |
Wakeling |
Anonymous* |
|
Donald Ivy Memorial Scholarship |
Amanda |
Kapsner |
Dorothy Heagy Education Scholarship |
Erika |
Smith |
Early Bird Scholarship |
Bailey |
Ward |
Ernest L. Frye-Keizer Memorial Scholarship |
Alissa |
McCord |
Estella Morgan Memorial |
Nicole |
Lehto |
Flaxel Family Scholarship |
Mia |
Knight |
Floyd Ingram Scholarship |
Archal |
Devi |
Brooklyn |
Garrigus |
Haley |
Reeves |
Forty & Eight Bobby L. Fraser Memorial Nursing Scholarship |
Jessica |
Edmundson |
Hales Family Scholarship |
Godfred |
Amonoo |
Jayden |
Felton |
Savannah |
Smith |
Henry F. and Elva H. Hansen Memorial Scholarship |
Kaitlyn |
Dubisar |
ILWU Local 12 Scholarship |
Cambree |
Messner |
Jack & Margaret S. Dean Scholarship |
Natalie |
Vincent |
James Montalbano Scholarship |
Serenia |
Church |
Heather |
Howell |
Kayla |
Johnson |
Samantha |
Lucero |
Maria |
Medina |
Bailey |
Pederson |
Alan |
Prater |
Carley |
Sjogren |
James Reed VanDuzer IV Scholarship |
Zachary |
Warner |
John C. Anderson Memorial Scholarship |
Joane |
Arzalluz Garzon |
John W. Burles Memorial Scholarship |
Mike |
Marchetti |
Shjon |
Petersen |
Keiser Scholarship for Culinary Excellence |
Julia |
Conolley |
Maddison |
Valdez |
Erin |
Williams |
Kyle Trust Scholarship |
Micheline |
Score |
Laker Legacy Alumni Scholarship |
Avineet |
Devi |
Leonard C. Farr Community Service Scholarship |
Ryan |
DeVore |
Liberal Arts Scholarship |
Daniel |
Messing |
Linda Bufton Culinary Scholarship |
Azul |
Garcia Ruiz |
Linda L. Kallgren Nursing Scholarship |
Braydon |
Snoddy |
Lisa G. Wampole Memorial Scholarship in Criminal Justice |
Aneyai |
Smith |
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship |
Tatiana |
Edmonds |
Nevaeha |
Florez |
Mary, Kate and Cap Sharples Scholarship |
John |
Capps |
Maxine Smith Scholarship |
Alyssa |
Skillett |
May Virginia Smith VanDuzer Scholarship |
Jessica |
Rivera |
Maybelle M. Olson Scholarship |
Aeryn |
Jones |
Menasha Legacy Fund Scholarship |
Brandi |
Anderson |
Christopher |
Gray |
Andria |
Johnson |
Ethan |
Pounder |
Paige |
Speakman |
Kimberly |
Webster |
Mike Groben Scholarship |
Levi |
Clow |
Steven |
Scruggs |
Nancy Douglas Memorial Scholarship |
Davis |
Wright |
New Beginnings for Tribal Students Scholarship |
Karli |
Daugherty |
Allie |
DeShazer |
Katelyn |
Jensen |
Tamira |
John |
Cassidy |
Orr |
Opportunity Links! Bandon Dunes Scholarship |
Liam |
Trapold |
Opportunity Links! Banner Bank Scholarship |
Bobbi |
Rangel |
Opportunity Links! Johnson Controls Scholarship |
Jackson |
Rasmussen |
Opportunity Links! Lil’ Bogey Scholarship |
Abigail |
Warrick |
Opportunity Links! North Point Development Scholarship |
Ashlee |
Tims |
Opportunity Links! Roseburg Forest Products Scholarship |
Citlali |
Gonzalez |
Opportunity Links! Scholarship |
Eduardo |
Penaloza |
Opportunity Links! The Mill Casino-Hotel Scholarship |
Peyton |
Kidd |
Opportunity Links! Three Rivers Casino Scholarship |
Trynly |
Haack |
Pacific Orchid Society Scholarship |
Aurora |
Parsons |
Patricia Benetti Memorial Scholarship |
Michelle |
Villalobos |
Anonymous* |
|
Patricia D. and William B. Smullin Scholarship |
Garrett |
Bushnell |
Michele |
Ingle |
Presbyterian Church of Coos Bay Memorial Scholarship |
Kiefer |
Allen |
Summer |
Jake |
Jack |
Prater |
Pringle/Cunningham Scholarship for Curry Student |
Amy |
Vick |
Roderick H. Morris Scholarship |
Kalista |
Bochart |
Sandra Martinez & Carrie Kralicek Selfless Act Nursing Scholarship |
Sarah |
Williams |
Sharon Barnett Scholarship |
Andrea |
Pedrini |
Sharon Kolkhorst Memorial Nursing Scholarship |
Natasha |
Campbell |
Karli |
Kinney |
Sheryl Rosenbaum Memorial Scholarship |
Lee Anna |
Saunders |
Shirley Barton Nursing Scholarship |
Viridiana |
Penaloza |
Sickels Family Rural College Technology Scholarship |
Daisy |
McAfee |
Slaney Family Human Services Scholarship |
Heather |
Edwards |
Slaney Family Scholarship |
Guadalupe |
Trujillo |
Stephens Family Scholarship |
Gabe |
Dresser |
Nathan |
Ward |
Steve Shirtcliff CASA Scholarship |
Brandy |
Griffin |
Student of the Year Scholarship |
Jessica |
Pardo |
SWOCC Foundation Board General Scholarship |
Bryce |
Bales |
Kaytlin |
Burdett |
Saron |
Cruz |
Brooke |
Gray |
Melissa |
Keyes |
Hailey |
Knedel |
Kylie |
Shaw-Kamehaiku |
Gabrielle |
Zellmer |
SWOCC Foundation Culinary General Scholarship |
Christa |
Jolley |
Kale |
Levanger |
Abigail |
Madsen |
Jupiter |
Nyberg |
Mckenzie |
Palacios |
Michelle |
Riley |
SWOCC Foundation General Nursing Scholarship |
Julie |
Carr |
SWOCC Foundation General Scholarship |
Julia |
Anzaldua |
Amy |
David |
Emilia |
Eaton |
Claire |
Eilers |
Tori |
Goodell |
Celeste |
Le |
Noa |
Quintana |
Connor |
Spindler |
Rune |
Van Den Bosch |
Emily |
Walters |
SWOCC Foundation: Donna Nichols Scholarship |
Madelyn |
Ford |
SWOCC Foundation: James Turner Scholarship |
Emily |
West |
SWOCC Foundation: Judy Ann Mogan Scholarship |
Miriam |
Glasband |
The Friends of the Curry Public Library James Boyle Memorial Scholarship |
Samantha |
Mellow |
TymByr Culinary Scholarship |
Kelsie |
Thurston |
Erin |
Williams |
Uncorking Opportunity! Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Scholarship |
Autum |
Burford |
Uncorking Opportunity! Carol Holden Memorial Nursing Scholarship |
Aria |
Woodruff |
Uncorking Opportunity! DB Western Scholarship |
Monica |
Thompson |
Uncorking Opportunity! Janet Rose Kramer Scholarship |
Amanda |
Moulton |
Uncorking Opportunity! Reid/Carter Scholarship |
Alleyna |
Rohde |
Uncorking Opportunity! The Mill Casino-Hotel Scholarship |
Kimber |
Privetts |
Verena Matthews Nursing Scholarship |
Alexis |
Marino |
Spencer |
Spini |
Vernon Brecke Memorial Scholarship |
Jakob |
Crowder |
Vernon C. and Jean G. Sorenson Scholarship |
Anonymous* |
|
William Lansing Scholarship |
Erica |
Evers |
Hanalei |
Warren |
William McGuire Scholarship |
Joane |
Arzalluz Garzon |
Woolridge Myrtle Point Scholarship |
Allison |
Storts |
Yellow Cab Taxi Scholarship |
Tia |
DeLorto |
*Note: Some scholarship recipients request their award(s) not be listed publicly. The Foundation respects their privacy by not including them on this list. |
Aug 28, 2023 | Community, Foundation, News
Coos Bay, OR – Pacific Power Foundation has awarded the Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation a $7,500 grant to support the development of a new instructional food production garden complex.
The garden on the Coos Bay campus is an essential learning component of the College’s new Agroecology career pathway program. Funds also will purchase equipment for students’ use in the garden.
“We are thrilled to get this grant from the Pacific Power Foundation. The garden is a lab for Agroecology students to learn about growing food and food systems. Students also will collaborate with the College’s culinary program, learning how sustainable food production links with business and the food industry,” Assistant Professor Maria Farinacci said.
Agroecology is an interdisciplinary study of the ecology of the entire food system, encompassing ecological, economic, and social dimensions. Teaching focuses on the holistic approach to agriculture that considers not only crop production and yield, but the sustainability of the ecosystem and community. The Agroecology curriculum includes business training for students who want to work in small businesses and farming. Classes and short-term training are designed to assist the region’s farmers and land managers in gaining knowledge and techniques, including enrichment classes for community members.
“The Pacific Power Foundation is honored to support the new Agroecology program and the opportunities it will provide to students. The program aligns well with the foundation’s mission to support the growth and vitality of the communities that we serve.,” said Sam Carter, Pacific Power’s regional business manager.
This instructional garden demonstrates to students how to increase access to healthy food, reduce food insecurity and promote self-sufficiency. Students will gain hands-on experience in sustainable and regenerative practices, and how to create community gardens, or start their own businesses.
“Pacific Power Foundation stepped up quickly to partner with us on this project and turn a wish into reality,” said Elise Hamner, executive director of SWOCC Foundation. “We appreciate their commitment to excellence in education and ensuring faculty and students learn together in a high-quality outdoor classroom.”
For more information about the Agroecology program, go to www.socc.edu/pathways or contact Maria Farinacci at maria.farinacci@socc.edu.
Pictured: Sam Carter, Pacific Power Regional Business Manager; Maria Farinacci, Agroecology Instructor; Dr. Patty Scott, President of Southwestern
About the Pacific Power Foundation
The Pacific Power Foundation is one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.8 million customers in six Western states as Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California) and Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Pacific Power. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net/foundation
About the Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation
Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation exists to benefit the College and provide adequate resources to improve every student socially, culturally, economically, and educationally. For more information, visit www.socc.edu/foundation.
Jun 29, 2023 | Alumni, Community, Foundation, News
Friends of Jody McCaffree (1960 – 2022) are creating a new scholarship through the Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation to honor her memory.
Very few people have the courage to dedicate their lives to advocating for social and environmental justice.
Jody McCaffree was one such unique individual. Inspired to serve, Jody spent 30 years of her life as an activist.
She dedicated time to women’s health issues related to hormone replacement therapies, bringing in specialists for education workshops. She was perhaps best known for her research into and efforts to oppose a natural gas terminal and pipeline project through Coos Bay.
Jody passed away in October 2022, after battling cancer. Friends who Jody inspired and worked with over the past 20 years want to honor her memory and activism with a permanent scholarship at Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation.
Jody studied accounting at Southwestern in the 1980s, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She went on determined to continue to acquire knowledge, which became the cornerstone of her activism and work.
This scholarship will assist students who have financial need, and who pursue learning related to community justice and health, ecology, economy and sustainability.
INTERESTED IN DONATING?
Gifts to the the Jody McCaffree Social & Environmental Justice Scholarship can be made in the following ways:
1) Online at www.socc.edu/give (put “Jody McCaffree” where prompted for where you would like to allocate your donation)
Give to the Jody McCaffree scholarship online here
2) Via Mail (send check to the following address with “Jody McCaffree” in the memo line)
SWOCC Foundation
1988 Newmark Ave.
Coos Bay, OR 97420
For more information about the SWOCC Foundation and how they help “open the door for opportunity” for local students, please visit www.socc.edu/foundation.
May 22, 2023 | Alumni, Community, Curry Campus, Foundation, News, Student Success
When you walk into Randolph Hall on SWOCC’s Coos Campus, you can hear laughter. It is hard not to follow the sound right into the Veterans Center to be a part of something good.
One tall, blond-haired man is always right in the middle of conversations there. To folks who do not know Ryan DeVore, he appears to be just another Vet Center work study student. Quiet-spoken. Smiling.
To those who know him, he’s much more.
“I’ve become a better person because of Ryan,” Shana Brazil said, as she watched him chatting with two students. “Ryan is so open to everything. Veterans can tell him anything, and he never looks down on them – ever. He never has anything negative to say.”
Shana is SWOCC’s Veteran Services Coordinator. She’s worked with vets at the college for years. She got to know Ryan a couple years ago. He was one of many disabled veterans coming to school to use GI Bill benefits to learn. Ryan found his way to her office. Shana liked him immediately. She asked if he would be her work-study student. Disappointingly, he said no. Three weeks later, Ryan returned. He asked if the job was still open.
Ryan and his wife, Jessie Courtright, grew up here and have family here. Ryan felt a connection to the college. Jessie graduated from SWOCC 18 years ago, he said, adding proudly she was the first woman to graduate in welding. Ryan applied to SWOCC in 2022 and got a Foundation scholarship. He is pursuing a science degree, but is working on a bigger mission. He believes his mission will improve the world in small, incremental ways long after he’s gone.
“I’m dying, you know. Slowly,” Ryan said, as he started telling his story. “I have organ failure.”
It is an autoimmune disorder that manifested as diabetes and Grave’s disease. Slowly, it has overcome his pancreas and now is destroying his liver and spleen. He’s waiting for it to attack his heart or his brain.
A person could let that eat away at him. That’s not Ryan’s story.
When he started his work study job, he learned that veterans club students tried to create a permanent scholarship for vets and their families. They made good progress in 2020 fundraising, until COVID killed the effort.
Ryan picked up the mission.
“It’s really important to help the soldiers and their dependents. They may be running out of benefits or needing a little extra help,” he said.
There’s a perception that if you serve in the military, you get free college, free job training. Some do. For others it is more complicated. Many older veterans’ benefits may have expired, or run out just short of the end of their schooling. For veterans with families, the monthly aid often does not stretch far enough.
Ryan knows personally, the value of a scholarship. It covers the bits and pieces. It eases worry. It helps to know someone cares.
His goal is to raise the scholarship fund to $50,000. The Vet Center is selling T-shirts. Ryan says he’s hoping to win the lottery. He launched a GoFundMe effort. Donations are trickling in.
“I’m trying to make the world a smarter place. It’s how I deal with my PTSD and ailments. If I’m going to be around, I’m going to try to make everybody’s day better,” Ryan said.
Ryan developed the mindset serving in the U.S. Army from 2002-16, until being medically discharged. He served at Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood. He also did two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. As a staff sergeant, Ryan watched over his soldiers. He cared for them not only at work, but in their home life and everything. If they needed something, he made sure they were taken care of.
“He’s brought that into the Vet Center a thousand times more than we ever had,” Shana said. “He just cares about the students. I appreciate it so much.”
Every day, Ryan keeps a candy jar ready for anyone who walks through the Vet Center door. He gets to know each veteran, their spouses, their children. He listens. When they need help, food or a friend, Ryan finds it for them. He connects them with things to do in the community. When some veterans’ car broke down recently, he picked them up and drove them to school.
“I’m just trying to live forward. I need as much good karma as I can find,” Ryan said, which is why this 42-year-old man’s mission is to finish creating the scholarship fund for veterans.
“This work-study money I get, it’s going to go to this project. I am working for free today for kids,” he said.
Now you have met Ryan DeVore. No, he is not just another work-study student. To those who know him, he is a hero.
If you would like to contribute to a permanent scholarship for veterans and their families click ‘Give’ to donate online. Put ‘Veterans Scholarship’ in the notes.
Give
For more information about the veterans program at Southwestern visit www.socc.edu/veterans, call 541-888-7236 or email veterans@socc.edu.
Mar 8, 2023 | Community, Curry Campus, Foundation
Karen Pringle Cunningham lives in Brookings for all the right reasons.
It’s a beautiful part of the Oregon Coast. There’s a thriving port and scenic harbor. The nearby forest with the ocean is the best crossroads anybody could have.
And, there’s a community college where she can volunteer to positively impact people’s lives.
“My whole career was really about community building. That experience brought me to SWOCC,” she said.
Having worked in Montana and then Central Oregon in philanthropy, Karen learned about the effort to develop the Curry campus in 2009. She wanted to be involved in creating a place where people could pursue their dreams. She soon moved here, taking the job of fundraising to build the Curry campus. Once the mission was accomplished, she signed on as the executive director of the SWOCC Foundation until retiring in 2013.
With grandchildren in Gold Beach, she and her husband, Hank Cunningham, are here now for good. Through it all, Karen has developed really good friendships in Brookings. She has taken SWOCC’s community education classes such as Better Bones & Balance, and attended workshops on the climate and local food production. She encourages people to take a class or teach one.
“There is a big group of people who are very excited and supportive of the College,” she said. “I look forward to putting that energy and enthusiasm together, through volunteering with the College.”
A few years ago, Karen started volunteering as a trustee on the SWOCC Foundation. Through the foundation, she strives to connect with people who want to fund scholarships and inspire others.
“I have a heart for people, especially older students who want to go to school and do something they dreamed about, or try something different. I also have a heart for those who need a helping hand to get started,” she said.
Karen never expects a payback, but receives one every time she gets a personal thank you letter from a Curry Campus student recipient of the Pringle Cunningham Scholarship.
Feb 16, 2023 | Community, Curry Campus, Foundation, News, Student Success
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College today announced that it has been designated a Leader College by Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing community colleges as hubs of equity and mobility in their communities.
Leader Colleges play an important role in accelerating the adoption of effective practices within the ATD Network and across higher education. Leader Colleges are recognized for the quality of their work in whole-college reform, resulting in increased completion rates for all students. Leader Colleges develop innovative ways to work with other colleges to share knowledge and facilitate an exchange of ideas about evidence-based reform strategies.
“Attaining the status of Leader College by Achieving the Dream is a great honor and a recognition of the work we do at Southwestern,” said Dr. Patty Scott, President of Southwestern. “We are grateful for the expert coaches, groundbreaking programs, and national peer network that our partnership with ATD provides. We will continue to work closely with them to support students and build a customized growth plan that addresses the unique challenges Southwestern faces”.
Southwestern is part of the ATD Network, made up of 300+ colleges committed to advancing equity and supporting student success at their institutions and throughout their communities. Southwestern has been a member of the ATD Network since 2012.
Southwestern Oregon Community College is committed to ensuring we meet the educational and cultural needs of our community. We specialize in providing two-year and transfer degree options, professional training, short-term certificates, community enrichment classes, and we are the no. 1 job training organization in our region.
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About Achieving the DREAM
Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a partner and champion of more than 300 community colleges across the country. Drawing on our expert coaches, groundbreaking programs, and national peer network, we provide institutions with integrated, tailored support for every aspect of their work — from foundational capacities such as leadership, data, and equity to intentional strategies for supporting students holistically, building K–12 partnerships, and more. We call this Whole College Transformation. Our vision is for every college to be a catalyst for equitable, antiracist, and economically vibrant communities. We know that with the right partner and the right approach, colleges can drive access, completion rates, and employment outcomes — so that all students can access life-changing learning that propels them into community-changing careers.