Mary Sue Reynolds
For The New Era
Second in a series…
I know you hear all the time about grants, loans and scholarships that are available for students to go to college. But you’re thinking “I’ll never get one of those!”
You’re right. You won’t unless you apply. There are many opportunities available right here in Sweet Home for high school seniors or adults out of high school to continue or to begin their college education. All you have to do is apply!
One scholarship that is available for high school seniors or other adults in the Sweet Home community is the Dan and Daisy Ashton scholarship. In 1995 a huge gift was given to the Sweet Home Community in the form of scholarships for college. Dan and Daisy Ashton were great supporters of education and encouragers of involvement in the community. Mrs. Ashton was a teacher and believed in life-long learning. Her and husband Dan opened Santiam Feed and Seed in Sweet Home. They were instrumental in starting the Sweet Home Senior Center. Mr. Ashton was one of the first board members of Linn-Benton Community College and served on the LBCC Foundation board from 1972 to 1980. (He was supporting the idea of having the main campus of the college in Sweet Home, before the Albany location was discovered.)
After Mr. and Mrs. Ashton died, they left their estate to Linn-Benton Community College Foundation to administer in the form of scholarships for Sweet Home residents. This particular fund has provided a full year of tuition for more than 80 LBCC students in the past eight years! This scholarship provides a unique opportunity for anyone in Sweet Home to afford college. Deadline for this application is in April and application forms can be picked up from the Sweet Home Center of LBCC or from Julie Harvey at Sweet Home High School.
For high school seniors there are many sources for scholarships, but we’re fortunate to have right here in our own town the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation that works hard to provide scholarships for our students.
Each year the number of scholarships increase as more and more high school grads are donating to the foundation in the form of endowments, memorials or estate giving. This last year the SHAF committee awarded 22 scholarships in various amounts to high school seniors. With all the other scholarships students received from outside sources, the SHAF committee made sure that each student that applied received some sort of financial assistance for college. Deadline for the SHAF scholarships are also in April and forms can be picked up in the high school counseling office.
For more scholarship information, there are two, wonderful, local resources to help you in your search. The high school counselor, Julie Harvey, can help high school seniors and the LBCC Sweet Home Center counselor, Jan Wright, can help both high school seniors or adults.
Either one can help you search for scholarships, grants and loans. Soon, the LBCC Sweet Home Center will be moving into the high school building and our counseling staffs will be joining forces to better serve prospective college students.
For more information about the Sweet Home Alumni Foundation contact one of the following committee members: Ben Dahlenburg, 367-4677; Bob Dalton, 367-5371; Phyllis Osborn, 367-2150; Peggy Emmert, 367-2424 or 367-8484; Steve Hanscam, 367-2157 or 367-2285; Jann Horner, 259-1201 or 367-6375; Mary McDonald, 367-6191; Tim Mcueary, 367-2956; Coreen Melcher, 367-7140 or 367-6235; Mary Sue Reynolds, 367-6901 or 367-4968; Dawn Waldrop, 367-1973; Mona Waibel, 367-3803; Ivan Wolthuis, 367-2931 or 367-2309; Lauri Carlson, 367-6751.