18
schools
june15
2017
WOEC Names
Scholarship Winners
West Oregon Electric Cooperative (WOEC) is
proud to be able to invest in the future of a few of the out-
standing students in their service territory. This year WOEC
was able to give two $1,000 Sam Hearing Scholarships. The
scholarship committee that is made up of WOEC members
reviewed the applications and considered not only the GPA
and test scores of the applicants, but also the amount of com-
munity service the students had done, and their goals and
motivation to succeed in life.
The West Oregon Electric Cooperative Sam Hearing
Scholarships are given in the memory of Sam Hearing. Sam
served on the WOEC board of directors for 35 years, and his
commitment to the co-op and community are symbolized in
the continuing effort of WOEC to help further the education
of their youth. Sam and his wife, Alvilda, shared a strong
commitment to education – Alvilda as a school teacher in
Vernonia, and Sam serving as a member of the Vernonia
School Board and Columbia County Education Service Dis-
trict. This commitment led the WOEC Board of Directors
to establish the Sam Hearing Scholarship fund in August of
2003 when Sam retired from the WOEC Board. Sam passed
away on January 15, 2004 and so the scholarships will re-
main to remind us of his dedication to the Cooperative and
the community that he lived in and served.
The following students were chosen to receive
$1,000 Sam Hearing scholarships: Autumn Sorenson and
Payton Wolf from Vernonia High School.
Chance to Become Scholarship
Breaks the Million Dollar Mark
The Chance to Become Scholarship Pro-
gram has surpassed the one-million dollar mark in
Columbia County. Since the year 2000, the Colum-
bia Learning Center (CLC) has offered this $5,000
scholarship to 210 students at all Columbia County
High Schools, for a total of $1,050,000 in schol-
arship awards. This year, thanks to the fundraising
efforts of the Columbia Learning Center, 12 stu-
dents in Columbia County will be given their own
Chance to Become as they graduate from local high
schools.
The funding for the scholarships comes
from anonymous donors and from the Black Tie
& Blue Jean Summer Social and Auction, which is
held once every two years. This year’s Black Tie
will be held on August 5 at the Deer Island Stock
Ranch. For ticket reservations or for sponsorship
information, email btbjsocial@gmail.com.
CLC Board Member Marion Christensen
explained that the Chance to Become scholarship is
one of the most unique scholarships in the nation,
and is designed to include a wide range of students
from across a graduating class. Recipients don’t
apply. Instead, they are chosen based on very non-
traditional criteria, with grades playing a minor role
in the process. A student might be selected because
they possess a special skill or a unique talent. They
might be someone who has overcome a behavioral
or personal challenge. They
may be a student whose
family cannot pay for con-
tinuing education. Or they
may simply be a student who tries their best at
whatever they do.
“As donors, we believe that we were given
“A Chance to Become” in our lives, and we want to
return that good fortune by giving a young person
a jump-start in their life,” Christensen said. “Our
scholarship recipients are asked to make this same
commitment. When they accept this scholarship,
they agree to help another student in the future by
giving them their own Chance to Become. This giv-
ing back promotes lifelong learning and strength-
ens our community.”
In 2017, CLC will award five scholarships
to students from the St. Helens School District,
two scholarships to students from Scappoose, three
scholarships to students from Clatskanie, and one
scholarship each to students from Rainier and Ver-
nonia. Jessica Williams was this year’s recipient of
the scholarship at the Vernonia High School Com-
mencement ceremony on June 3.
The number of scholarships in each com-
munity varies because some communities have
individuals and organizations that directly fund
scholarships for students graduating from their
school districts.
“These are quite possibly the most im-
portant scholarships we have available for our
students,” St. Helens High School Principal B.G.
Aguirre said. “They are very generous and are life-
changing for many of our students. The fact that
someone believes in them and is giving them a
chance to succeed is irreplaceable.”
Vernonia School Board Meetings are held on the second Thursday
of each month. The next School Board Meeting is scheduled for
July 13 at 6:00 pm in the Schools Library.
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