VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver held its third annual scholarship luncheon Sept. 29, providing scholarship donors the opportunity to meet student recipients and hear from two student speakers on the assistance their respective scholarships have provided.
Marvin Nelson, who with his family in 2001 established the Shirley Mae Nelson Memorial Scholarship, offered a donor’s perspective on why scholarship giving is particularly meaningful.
When the campus was first established in 1989, scholarship support was $500. Thirteen years later support has grown to more than $1.6 million in annual and endowed scholarship funds.
WSU Vancouver awarded 47 scholarships totaling more than $70,000 to students enrolled for the 2003-2004 academic year. Individual scholarships range from $200 to $5,000 and are supported by private gifts to WSU Vancouver from individuals, businesses, organizations and foundations.
“The scholarship program at WSU Vancouver has shown steady growth, thanks to the continuing support of community donors dedicated to helping a growing number of students finance their education,” said Hal Dengerink, chancellor. “We are deeply appreciative for their ongoing commitment to higher education.”
New this year is the Brian Baird and Rachel Nugent Scholarship, which was awarded to two WSU Vancouver students. Congressman Baird and his wife (Nugent) created the award to encourage young people to care about the importance of political involvement.
Four students were awarded the John Robert Brown Endowed Scholarship this year. Mr. Brown and his family once owned and farmed the property on which the WSU Vancouver campus is now situated. He created the scholarship fund that enables high-achieving, community college transfer students to obtain a bachelor’s degree at the campus that was once his home.
For more information on supporting WSU Vancouver scholarships, contact the Office of Campus Advancement at (360) 546-9600.
Scholarship recipients for the 2003-2004 academic year include:
American Association of University Women
D’Alene White, Vancouver
Brian Baird and Rachel Nugent Scholarships
Kevin Healy and Sonia Seise, both of Vancouver
Business Alumni Student Scholarship
Ursula Perkins, Vancouver
Business Faculty and Staff Scholarship
Eric Gebhardt, Battle Ground
Brown-Neuberger Leadership Award
Louis Mitchell, Bremerton
Columbia Credit Union Scholarships
Donae Obenland, Vancouver, and Shannon Richards, Ridgefield
Columbia Machine Scholarship
Debra Pollock, Battle Ground
Computer Science Scholarship
Harold Harrsch III, Vancouver
Dupar Foundation Business Scholarships
Barbara Hovey, Silver Lake, and Susan Tjahjadi, Vancouver
E. Faye Volker and George W. Volker Endowed Scholarship
Ivy McCanta, Ridgefield
Education Student Award
Lauren O’Neal, Vancouver
Glenn Terrell Endowed Scholarships
Tiffany Angstron Silvius and Reid Lantz, both of Vancouver
Harold F. and Beatrice A. Boutwell Endowed Scholarship
Matthew Donald, Woodland; Cheryl Hess, Vancouver; and Emanuel Pauwels and Miranda Gellert, both of Washougal
Harvey A. Rubin and Gayle Dailey Rubin Endowed Scholarships
David Howard, Suzanne Sooter and Dave Dyk, all of Vancouver
John Robert Brown Endowed Scholarship
Kathleen Dugas, Kelso; Elizabeth Houston, Vancouver; Berednice Dominguez, Aloha, Ore.; and Sam Rader, Washougal
LM Hidden Charitable Trust Scholarships
Ellice Haas and Alyssa Marlowe, both from Vancouver; Jennifer Lasher and Michelle Mattson, both from Ridgefield; and Erin Young, Battleground
Luretta “Lou” Fairweather Memorial Scholarship
Joan Rabideau, Longview
Major James Allan Scholarship
Adam Herbenson, Vancouver
Manufacturing Engineering Scholarships
David Nylund and John Willette, both from Brush Prairie
Maxine McReynolds Kirmaier Memorial Endowed Scholarships
Stacey Johnson and Renee Wood-Wagnild, both from Vancouver
Non-Traditional Student Scholarship
Deborah Langley, Vancouver
WSU Vancouver Psychology Department Scholarships
Shannon Dirks, Sandy, Ore., and James Rollins, Longview
Riverview Community Bank Scholarships
Victoria Hood, Kelso, and Tamara Smith, Vancouver
Shirley Mae Nelson Education Scholarship
Marlena Schmit, Vancouver
Tom McKay and Lois McBride Hougan Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Eric Gebhardt, Battle Ground
Washington Society of CPAs (SW Chapter) Scholarship
Tanya Bogush, Vancouver
