Local service clubs and non-profits give graduates a helping hand
Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 28, 2022
While high school seniors anticipate graduation celebrations, concerns about tuition and other college fees cause anxiety in students and their families. Below are a few scholarships offered by local non-profits and service clubs:
The San Juan Island Community Foundation:
The foundation offers five scholarships, according to executive director Carrie Unpingco.
“There are a lot of islanders who cannot afford to attend a college, university, trade school or tech school. We are seeing more and more families who have financial needs. Investing in education is something we are extremely proud of,” Unpingco said.
Since 2008, according to Unpingco, SJICF has awarded over $2 million in scholarships to local students for college and career training.
The Inskeep Legacy Scholarship provides college funding for graduating high school students on San Juan Island based on financial needs. This four-year scholarship is renewable.
The SJICF scholarship provides scholarship awards for San Juan Island residents to further their education at an accredited community college, two-year college, four-year university, graduate school program, or vocational/career program. The SJICF Scholarship, Unpingco added, is not just for graduating high school seniors. Anyone who lives on SJI can apply for this scholarship as long as they meet the other requirements.
The John Volk Memorial Scholarship awardees must demonstrate a commitment to scholastic achievement, record of service to others in our community and a desire to pursue a career in an aviation-related field.
The Marcia L. Zakarison M.D. Scholarship is a one-time scholarship for graduating high school seniors on San Juan Island to attend technical or trade schools and two- or four-year colleges and universities for students pursuing a career in human medicine.
The Vida Wight Memorial Scholarship is for post-secondary-aged young women of color studying Spanish, dance, agriculture, or Somatics.
The amount of the scholarships varies depending on which one the individual is applying for and what their financial needs are. Unpingco added that the average Inskeep scholarship granted is $5,000 per year per student.
Applications for all scholarships listed above are due at the beginning of May. Students may apply for the SJICF Scholarship anytime throughout the year but are usually encouraged to apply in early May for the fall term, Unpinco said.
The foundation’s scholarship committee interviews all of the Inskeep applicants. This committee also occasionally interviews SJICF scholarship applicants. The Volk, Zakarison and Vida Wight scholarships, however, each have their own outside scholarship committees that decide who to award the scholarships. The foundation holds the funds until the outside committees recommend these recipients to the SJICF board for approval. Due to IRS regulations, the foundation’s board must approve all scholarships that are granted from the foundation.
“There are so many students who have gone through our scholarship program who have blown us away with their determination, passion, and talent,” Unpingco said. “ We love when some of those students who receive our scholarships end up moving back to the island to start their careers.”
The foundation has kept in touch with recipients over the years, especially those of the Inskeep scholarship. “One of the requirements of our Inskeep Scholarship is to send update letters after each school term,” Unpinco said. “ It is such a joy to keep in contact with these students during their college journey.” The foundation also hears from those students who return home after graduation to begin their careers.
To learn more details about the scholarship funds, visit https://sjicf.org/students/. Unpingco explained that the Vida Wight scholarship is not yet on their website but will be within a couple of months. Anyone interested in learning more about our scholarship programs or how to donate to one of our scholarship funds, can call their office at 360-378-1001 or visit sjic.org.
“It’s always difficult to decide [who to select] because we do have limited scholarship funding,” Unpingco said. “ We are fortunate to be able to award a lot of scholarship funding every year, but there are always more deserving students than we have funding for.”
Island Artisans:
Since the late 70s, Island Artisans has held a Holiday Art Market to raise funds for art scholarships and support local artists.
As a fundraiser, the non-profit holds an annual Holiday Art Market for San Juan County artists to sell their crafts. This year the event took place at the San Juan County Fairgrounds. The venue turned out so well the group has already signed up to use the space again in 2022.
“The artist had bigger booth space, the aisles were wider and we were able to have a food court in the breezeway outside the main building,” Jana Meredith, coordinator of the event, said.
The scholarship is countywide, according to Meredith, and typically awards a total of $15,000 each year. Any senior graduating from an accredited school system, including home school, private or public schools may apply.
Applicants are judged on three pieces of art and an essay. That essay does not have a topic assigned because the board of Island Artisans would like to get a sense of who the applicant is and what their passions are.
“It is interesting to see the different ways people talk about themselves and their work,” Meredith said.
Art, Meredith said, is fundamental to life. “There is not enough value placed on art in our society,” Meredith said.
For those that say they are not creative, Meredith disagrees. “Everyone has creativity in them until it is stifled.” She continued, explaining that even the most logical topics, such as mathematics and sciences need space for creativity.” Take science-fiction, she continued, an extremely creative genre that has contributed to modern science by imagining technology that does not yet exist.
Over the years Meredith has kept in contact with some of the recipients, especially those that have returned home to make their local contributions.
“I would like to have an art show displaying the work of past scholarship winners,” she added.
To learn more, contact Island Artisans at https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/San-Juan-Island-Artisans-155607461131727/.
San Juan Lions Club:
One of the most important things George Johnsonchair of the San Juan Lions scholarships committee would like applicants to know about the Lions scholarship is that if they do not live on San Juan Island, do not apply to the San Juan Lions Club. Students who live on Orcas should apply to the Orcas Lions and, even if they attend a San Juan Island school, and those who live on Lopez should apply to the Lopez Lions.
“We get a lot of confusion,” he said, “but you should be applying to the club whose island you live on.”
The Lions scholarships are awarded to local graduating seniors who model a spirit of community service and academic achievement. They ask for references, a school transcript, and a completed “common application: from the high school they attend.
This year, one $1,000 will be awarded, which will be renewable for up to five years, and a one-time $1,000 scholarship which will be disbursed following completion of the recipient’s first term at a college or trade school.
“We want to encourage students to stay in a school for four years,” Johnson said,” but we are aware that if they transfer colleges or something comes up, it may take them five years to actually complete.”
Johnson also said four-year colleges are not for everyone, and there is something to be said for trade schools or community colleges.
“There are hundreds of jobs we need on the island that can not be filled because no one is going into them,” Johnson said. “The fact is they could make better money, and sooner by going to a trades school.”
Johnson has been chair of the scholarship committee for approximately 15 years. During that time, as his daughters went through college, he watched as the prices of tuition steadily increased.
“There is a huge gap between the family that can just pay the tuition and the student who struggles just to pay the application fees,” he said. When looking at the cost which can be into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the $4,000-$5000 scholarships are merely a drop in the bucket.
“What we are really doing here is acknowledging the kids. Showing we believe in their potential, and giving them a better chance for further education,” Johnson said.
To learn more visit https://e-clubhouse.org/sites/sanjuanwa/index.php.
Kiwanis Club of Friday Harbor:
According to the Kiwanis scholarship committee chair Jack Rice, Kiwanis has awarded over 100 San Juan Island students in the last six years with approximately $12,000 in scholarships.
This year the Honeywell Foundation awarded Kiwanis a grant specifically for trade schools, Rice said.
Dave Honeywell, co-founder of the Honeywell foundation said the push toward trade schools arose out of the realization that several four-year university students drop out before graduation, and many can not use the degree they graduated with.
“Some of the students just need help finding a direction,” he said, and there are few paths to help those who choose tech and trade career paths. Like Johnson, Honeywell noted that many job vacancies locally are due to a lack of people opting to delve into those trades. One aspect may be a result of assistance to those vocations.
“We want to make sure all students and avenues are represented, not just the 4.0 GPA’s,’ he said, encouraging students to follow their passions. “Some people want to be beauticians, electricians. Be what you want to be, that’s what matters.”
To apply, students must fill out a “common application” from the high school, along with an essay and other specifications.
To learn more about Kiwanis scholarships, visit http://www.fridayharborkiwanis.com.
Honeywell noted that the foundation has also supported the Soroptimists of Friday Harbor.
Soroptimists of Friday Harbor:
Soroptimist of Friday Harbor has been awarding high school scholarships for decades. More recently, in the last four or five years, a $2,000 scholarship has been added for women going into Science, Technology, Engineering or Math.
“There was a push to get more girls to get involved in STEM programs, and I think we thought that if we had a scholarship, more would be inclined to participate in those subjects,” Sue Buettell, scholarship chair said.
Another $5,000 is awarded to help girls further their education. “We want to help them live their dreams and remove the obstacles,” Buettell said.
Diana Sibert has been chairing the Best for Women, the committee that scholarships fall under, for approximately six years.
“Education is so important,” Sibert said. Besides the financial assistance, scholarships are a vote of confidence. “We are really saying we see you, we know what can do and we believe in you. It is as important as giving money, letting them know that we believe in them and want to help them succeed,” she said, explaining the value of scholarships. Both scholarships’ deadline is April 28, and then the judges review the applications.
“It has always been a difficult choice. It is such a unique group of applicants,” Buettell said, adding that Soroptimists appreciate all the community members who have donated time or money to Soroptimist and their scholarship program.
To learn more about Soroptimist scholarships and awards, visit https://www.sifri.org.
