Scholarship awards for the 2022-2023 academic year were presented by Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rain Forest during their annual awards nights held this past Thursday, May 26, at the Congregational Church.

Soroptimist scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2,000, were presented to: Victoria Donoghue of Clallam Bay, Jeidi Ahilon-Perez, Nicole Winger, Florentina Matias Pablo, Maribel Davila-Green, Abigail Stutes, Sarah Curtis, Kyrissa Duncan, Myra Luong, Holly Hillcar. A Soroptimist renewal scholarship was presented to Natalie Lausche.

Hull Family scholarships, managed by the Soroptimists in Forks for the Hull family through United Way, ranged from $500 to $1,000. Scholarships were presented to: Maribel Greene-Davila, Austin Graham, Antonia Joaquin Pedro, Abigail Stutes, Isabelle Cavill, Kayci Trettevik, and Shauna Rondeau. Hull family renewal scholarships were presented to Blanca Silva, Cecilia Estrada Elena, Keli Doyle, Brenna King, Savannah Meyer, Emily Adams, Chloe Leverington, Karen Ensastegui, and Elizabeth Adams.

SIORF now offers three memorial scholarships named for Prue Miller, Diane Demorest, and Janet Marion, all former Soroptimists members and active members of the community.

The Prue Miller Memorial scholarship is new this year. It is designed to support college students in either their third or fourth year of college, helping them complete their degree. The scholarship was created through an anonymous donation. SIORF decided to match the donation this year so that two college students, both seniors next year, could receive an award. Prue Miller Memorial scholarships were given to Guadalupe Silva and Arsenio Bravo-Cruz.

A Diane Demorest Memorial scholarship, designed to help students become nurses (or enter another medical field) was presented to Shauna Rondeau to assist her in becoming a registered nurse. Shauna works at the Forks Community Hospital.

Janet Marion Memorial scholarships, supported by private donations, is designed to help registered nurses increase their training and certification. Two of these scholarships were awarded, one to Melissa Portnoy, an RN at Forks Community Hospital working to become a Family Nurse Practitioner, and another to Reece Moody, a former Forks resident and currently an RN in Olympia. Reece will be studying in Tennessee to become a nurse anesthetist. Reece is also a past recipient of the Diane Demorest Memorial scholarship, which helped him become an RN.

Soroptimists International of the Olympic Rain Forest are pleased to be able to help so many students pursue their dreams through education. The club budget dedicated to scholarships was increased substantially this year over past years. A great, big thank you to the Forks community for supporting various SIORF fundraisers to make this possible, and to various donors who have entrusted us with overseeing special scholarships.

SIORF scholarship committee members Sue Trettevik (left) and Rosemary Sternbeck (right) presented scholarships to former Forks graduates currently in college: Kayci Trettevik and Savannah Meyers’s mom Jananne. Not pictured: Emily Adams, Arsenio Bravo-Cruz, Keli Doyle, Karen Ensastegui, Cecilia Estrada, Brenna King, Natalie Lauche, Chloe Leverington, Blanca Silva, and Guadalupe Silva.

Sue Trettevik (left) and Rosemary Sternbeck (right) presented Reece Moody (center) with Siorf’s newly created Janet Marion Scholarship. This scholarship was created in memory of former SIORF member Janet Marion for registered nurses wishing to further their education.

Sue Trettevik on left and Rosemary Sternbeck far-right, SIORF scholarship committee, are pictured with this year’s scholarship recipients: Isabelle Cavill, Sarah Curtis, Maribel Davila-Greene, Kyrissa Duncan, and Austin Graham. Not pictured: Victoria Donoghue, Holly Hillcar. Submitted Photos