The Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation is proud to congratulate their 2021-22 scholarship recipients. Thanks to generous donors, the organization awarded 176 scholarships totaling more than $264,000 for students attending Southwestern for the upcoming academic year.
“This support is incredibly helpful for our college and students. We are awarding more scholarships this year than ever before, at a time our students are trying to get their lives back on track,” said Elise Hamner, Southwestern Foundation Executive Director. “Scholarships help erase worry, so these students can focus on achieving goals and training for careers. I can’t say enough how much we appreciate donors who are there for students year after year. When Southwestern’s students succeed, it’s a win for students and our local communities.”
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 inspire students to achieve their goals and give back to our community.
In addition to Foundation scholarships, the college reminds families that any 2021 high school graduate with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.75 or higher is potentially eligible for a free two-year tuition waiver worth more than $9,100 to attend Southwestern. Program-specific tuition waivers may also be available. This past year, 28students from the ten high schools in the college district took advantage of the GPA award opportunity. In total, they saved their families $124,740 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.
Southwestern Foundation 2021-22 Scholarship Recipients*:
*Note: Some scholarship recipients request their award not be listed publicly. The Foundation respects their privacy by not including them on this list.
Andy Toribio Scholarship:Maci Flaherty
Ann Lansing Scholarship: Shanna Cannon
Art and Toni Poole Scholarship: Therese Holm, Koby Sewall
Barbara Dodrill Scholarship:Cynthia Devouassoux, Jennifer Dietz, Kayla Johnson
Barbara Emily Knudson Scholarship: Stephanie Higgins
Baughman Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship: Brogan Markel
Bay Area Sportsman’s Association (BASA) Scholarship: Jacob Dukovich
Bechtold-Laird Health Care Scholarship: Amy Annaloro, Daryna Semenchuk, Mariia Semenchuk
Clyde and Jackie Cherry Memorial Scholarship: Juan Caballero, Natasha Holmes
Coos Bay Vision Center Scholarship:Sara Torkelson
Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary Scholarship: Kristin Mayer
Coos County Realtor Scholarship: Trevor Monk
Coquille Indian Tribe Scholarship: Allison Meyer
Dean and Jane Muffett Memorial Scholarship:Conor Heckard, Savannah McHugill
DeArmond CTE Scholarship:Emma Bouchat, Katherine Duncan, Sabastian Foucher, Jeremy Potter
Dennis and Janet Beetham Family Scholarship: Garrett Baird, Ethan Carpenter, Lloyd Crawford, Aidan Lilienthal, Damian Lilienthal, Andrew Okamoto, Terren Piburn, Carmen Samuels, Zachary Warner, Jordan Wilson
Dorothy Heagy Education Scholarship:Linda Robbins
Ernest L. Frye-Keizer Memorial Scholarship: Jasmine Herrera
Estella Morgan Memorial Scholarship: Khristina Fulkerson
Coos Bay, OR – The community giving group 100 Strong Bandon has joined with Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation to help students succeed, making a $2,375 donation to the Barbara Dodrill Scholarship.
It all started with a friend of Dodrill’s who wanted to honor the retired educator and good friend. Lynn Kellogg got to know Dodrill on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Guatemala years ago. She so admired her that while attending a Foundation scholarship event in 2019, Kellogg decided to create a one-time scholarship in Dodrill’s name.
Fast forward to August 2020 and Dodrill’s 93rd birthday. Her friends scheduled a drive-by birthday event in front of Dodrill’s Bandon home. Rather than give gifts, they encouraged friends and admirers to donate to the scholarship here at Southwestern. Soon, 100 Strong Bandon joined the fun.
The women’s volunteer group meets four times a year to raise funds for nonprofit charities that benefit Bandon-area residents. The group’s members chose to honor Dodrill, because she positively impacted many people over the years.
Helping students succeed
Having enrolled in college when she was 40, Dodrill went on to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She soon returned to SWOCC and in 1972 began teaching business and accounting. She earned recognition over four decades as an innovative instructor, retiring at 80. Early in her teaching career, she developed an office simulation course, and later she created accounting-focused computer training for her students.
After retiring from the college, she jumped into a real estate career for another five years. To this day, she occasionally meets former students in line at the grocery story and is pleased to see success in their lives. All the more reason Dodrill has been delighted by the new scholarship and community support around education.
“I absolutely loved teaching,” Dodrill said. “The important thing in life is education – education for our young people and seeing that future.”
Neighbors helping neighbors
The scholarship will assist two female college students 21 years or older demonstrating financial need. First priority for the scholarship is for a Bandon female resident.
“100 Strong Bandon is excited to support the Barbara Dodrill Scholarship at SWOCC. We believe this is an important tool to empower older female students from Bandon and help them succeed in their field of study, while honoring a Bandon role model,” said Julie Miller, group co-founder. “If we can mitigate the cost barrier of education for a student, we are thrilled to do so. Our goal is to make an impact on the lives of our local residents.”
These Bandon fundraising women are ensuring their community thrives in the future, too. Since the group’s founding in May 2017, members have contributed more than $42,000 and many volunteer hours to local charities benefiting Bandon residents – all accomplished in quarterly one-hour meetings. Founders Julie Miller and MaryAnn Soukup are excited about the impact of these funds within the community and spreading the idea of neighbors helping neighbors.
Coos Bay, OR – The Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation is proud to congratulate their 2020-21 scholarship recipients. Thanks to generous donors, the organization awarded 107 scholarships totaling more than $160,000 for students attending Southwestern for the upcoming academic year.
“Our students need scholarships more than ever during this challenging year and we owe a huge thanks to our donors for providing them,” said Elise Hamner, Southwestern Foundation Executive Director. “These awards do so much more than just help financially. Students tell us all the time how receiving a scholarship inspires them to achieve their goals and give back to our local community.”
The Southwestern Foundation was established as a scholarship organization in 1962, the year after the college started. Since then, thousands of students have attended the college using Foundation scholarships. Donors who contribute to these scholarships allow students to focus on achieving a college education and high-skill technical training they might not otherwise have the ability to pursue.
In addition to Foundation scholarships, the college reminds families that any 2020 high school graduate with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.75 or higher is potentially eligible for a free two-year tuition waiver worth nearly $9,000 to attend Southwestern. This past year, 31 students from high schools in our college district took advantage of this opportunity. In total, they saved their families $134,000 in tuition costs.
If you are interested in donating to Southwestern Foundation scholarships visit www.socc.edu/foundation/give/ or call 541-888-7209 for additional information.
Southwestern Foundation 2020-21 Scholarship Recipients:
Alexander Ewing Scholarship: Alyssa Hutchings
Andy Toribio Scholarship: Uriel Barrios-Gonzales
Ann Lansing Scholarship: Abbi Myers
Art and Toni Poole Scholarship: Danny Hawthorne, Kara Klietz
Barbara Dodrill Scholarship: Carissa Pefley
Barbara Emily Knudson Scholarship: Stephanie Higgins
Baughman Memorial Apprenticeship Scholarship: Victoria Wallace
Bay Area Sportsman’s Association (BASA) Scholarship: Quinn Allen
Bechtold-Laird Health Care Scholarship: Jake Gerhardt, Sky Solis
Bezzerides Scholarship: Jessica Ambler
Bi-Mart Scholarship: Nathan James
Caddy McKeown Scholarship: Nicholas Turner
Coos Bay Vision Center Scholarship: Imogen Snively
Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary Scholarship: Emily Treskey
Coquille Indian Tribe Scholarship: Miles Wheeler
Dean Muffett Memorial Scholarship: Joshua Olson
DeArmond CTE Scholarship: Emma Bouchat, Taryn Hunt, Skylar Lucas, Lawrence Winowiecki
Dennis and Janet Beetham Family Scholarship: Zachary Warner
Dorothy Heagy Education Scholarship: Chelsea Hendrickson
Ernest L. Frye-Keizer Memorial Scholarship: Caitlin McCullough
Estella Morgan Memorial: Amelia Harvey
Flaxel Family Scholarship: Trenton McGahan
Floyd Ingram Scholarship: Amy Annaloro, Dominque Madison
Hales Family Scholarship: Kayleana Green, Benjamin Hallmark, Logan Jones, Cayanne McKinley, Kristine Reasor
Every day, that’s precisely where Maria Gutierrez goes – into her grill station “office” in one of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s restaurants.
“It was definitely a wonderful experience coming to OCCI. I learned everything I needed to work in a restaurant,” Maria said.
Maria grew up in a family who cooked together. The youngest of four children, she remembers at age 4 being in the kitchen helping her grandma and her mom. They encouraged her every day, as did her step-father. He served up an idea and the encouragement she needed to imagine a career in the culinary industry.
“He’d tell me, ‘You could be one of those chefs on a cruise ship,” she said.
Scholarships and tuition waiver helped
She believed and worked hard in high school, graduating with an overall GPA above 3.75. That high GPA made her eligible for a partial tuition waiver to the Culinary Institute. With that help she enrolled at Southwestern, moved into student housing and even sought a part-time job at Bandon Dunes, knowing she had to study, pay bills and loans, and be responsible.
Hard work, focus and dedication paid off. Maria moved to top of her OCCI class, and Executive Chef Don McCradic at Bandon Dunes noticed her.
“Bandon Dunes and OCCI’s partnership has been a success story from the beginning and Maria’s passion for the industry has helped her excel during the externship program,” said Chef McCradic. “Our team is very proud she was the first recipient of the scholarship. I look forward to seeing where her accomplishments take her.”
Chef McCradic challenged Maria, and more he’s helped her gain the confidence needed in a competitive industry.
“Chef is always watching. He’s great,” she said. “He’s encouraging. He lets you know you’re doing well.”
Just like her family.
Next step: Job at Oregon’s premier golf resort
Maria’s long-term goal is to gain a managerial position as a Sous Chef. She initially imagined staying at Bandon Dunes for another two years and has four restaurant areas to choose from – The Gallery, Pacific Grill, McKee’s Pub and Trails End. She said, now, she could envision staying longer. And, she’s thinking about the possibilities of not just being a chef at the premier resort in Bandon, but perhaps working at management company Kemper Sports’ other locations around the country.
“There’s so much opportunity, if you try your hardest and never settle for mediocrity,” Maria said. “If you want to go to culinary school, you’ve got to be all in and committed.”
Being “all in” is what it takes to earn the opportunity to apply for and win a Keiser Scholarship for Culinary Excellence at Southwestern.
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