WSU Tri-Cities to recognize scholarship winners, donors at Friday breakfast

RICHLAND, Wash. – Nearly $370,000 worth of scholarships will be awarded to Washington State University Tri-Cities students at the annual Scholarship Recognition Breakfast at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at the Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.
 
The by-invitation event will highlight several students who have overcome unique challenges and, with the help of scholarship support, are on track to earn a bachelor’s degree.
 
One of those is Kuch Yual, a refugee who experienced the horrors of civil war in his home nation of Sudan. Recipient of a Harlan P. Foote Memorial Scholarship, he is fulfilling his dream of earning a degree in nursing.
“I am motivated to work harder than I ever have before, so I can honor those who support me,” he said.
 
Scholarships are vital to students at WSU Tri-Cities. Almost all of the students hold down at least one job and, therefore, are balancing work and family obligations with their studies.

So every dollar counts, from the $70,000 in Washington River Protection Solutions scholarships to the two $2,500 scholarships donated by Betty Bement-Adams, an alumna of the campus, in memory of Harlan P. Foote.

With annual tuition increases, WSU Tri-Cities students are seeking financial support. In fall 2009, there were 119 applications for WSU scholarships. For fall 2011, there were 535 applications – that’s a 350 percent increase.