This content was published: July 20, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC Foundation Scholars: Two long shots turn into sure things
Stories by Eloise Holland. Photos by Vern Uyetake.
The benefits of higher education are beyond reach for many Oregonians. Fifty percent of PCC students required financial assistance to attend college. For a full-time PCC student, one year’s tuition, fees, books and other expenses amount to about $4,500. A two-year degree will total almost $9,000. The PCC Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships every year to students who may not otherwise be able to afford an education. Here’s a look at two of them:
Karla Sanchez
J & J Inc. Scholarship
Karla Sanchez (middle) with donors of her scholarship.
At the age of 13, Karla Sanchez did not speak a word of English when her family moved to the United States. Some nights, she stayed up until 2 or 3 a.m. just to get her homework done. Now, as the first person in her family to graduate from college, she wants PCC Foundation supporters to know that they make a difference.
“Even a small amount means a lot,” she said. “Going to school and getting a good career are going to help me get a better life, not only for me, but also to give back to my parents.”
Adrian Thompson
Rask Family Memorial Fund Scholarship
Adrian Thompson by his poster at the annual scholarship banquet.
“College was definitely a long shot for me,” said Adrian Thompson, who moved a lot as a kid, attending at least ten different schools over the years. He almost dropped out until he transferred to an alternative high school, where he took his first PCC class. It was a good fit from the beginning, and when it came time for college, his choice was clear. Thompson said the support of the PCC Foundation’s Rask Family Memorial Fund Scholarship has been invaluable in pursuing his dream of becoming a dentist. “[The scholarship] made me feel that all of the work that I’d put in, and all of the waiting and patience had really paid off,” he said.
Learn more about the PCC Foundation.